Five adult patients with chronic renal failure and associated renal osteodystrophy have been treated for 6 months with 1-alpha-hydroxycholecalciferol (1 alpha-OH-D3), a synthetic vitamin D analogue. All 5 patients had severe metabolic bone changes as estimated by bone scintigraphy. Three patients were hypocalcemic, 4 had elevated serum alkaline phosphatases, 5 had elevated serum immunoreactive parathyroid hormone (i-PTH) concentration and 3 had bone pains. During treatment serum calcium increased in all patients (mean 11.4%) and 3 originally hypocalcemic patients became normocalcemic. Serum alkaline phosphatases decreased (mean 27.3%) and became normal in 4 patients, who initially had elevated values. A pronounced decline in the serum concentration of i-PTH (mean 53%) was seen in all patients and 1 patient obtained normal i-PTH levels after 4 months of treatment. The intestinal calcium absorption, which was low initially, even when calcium intake was considered, rose almost threefold (mean 273%) and reached normal values in all cases. The bone mineral content increased in all patients, but the changes were small (mean 4.9%) and insignificant. Finally, bone pain disappeared in 2 patients and improved in 1 of 3 patients exhibiting this symptom. A linear correlation (r = 0.48, p less than 0.001) was found between the dose of 1 alpha-OH-D3 and serum calcium. But in spite of this and the frequent control, all patients developed one episode of hypercalcemia. This disappeared within 48 hours after discontinuing the drug. It is concluded that treatment with 1 alpha-OH-D3 appears to be of therapeutic value in metabolic bone disease associated with chronic renal failure, but frequent control of blood biochemistry seems mandatory.