Vitamin D: a new player in kidney transplantation?
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Vitamin D | neutral | calcium and phosphate metabolism | - | - | regulates | #1 |
Vitamin D | neutral | the immune response | - | - | has been shown to regulate | #2 |
Vitamin D | decrease | cardiovascular disease, cancer and infections | - | - | has protective effects from | #3 |
Vitamin D deficiency | decrease | a decline in graft function and other complications | renal transplant recipients | - | may be associated with | #4 |
elevated levels of FGF23 | increase | death and allograft loss | patients after kidney transplantation | - | may predict increased risks of | #5 |
an optimal Vitamin D supplementation | increase | operational tolerance | transplant recipients | - | might favor | #6 |
an optimal Vitamin D supplementation | decrease | the triad cardiovascular disease-cancer-infection | transplant recipients | - | might protect from | #7 |
Vitamin D is a hormone with pleiotropic effects. It mainly regulates calcium and phosphate metabolism through interactions with FGF23 and its receptor klotho. In addition, it has been shown that Vitamin D also regulates the immune response and has protective effects from cardiovascular disease, cancer and infections. Most renal transplant recipients have overt Vitamin D deficiency, a condition that may be associated with a decline in graft function and other complications. After kidney transplantation, elevated levels of FGF23 may predict increased risks of death and allograft loss. Theoretically, an optimal Vitamin D supplementation might favor operational tolerance and protect transplant recipients from the triad cardiovascular disease-cancer-infection. However, more solid data are needed to confirm this and to set the optimal level of serum Vitamin D supplementation in order to attain the best clinical outcome.