Vitamin D status in children and adolescents with kidney transplants

Hypovitaminosis D is highly prevalent in adult kidney-transplanted patients. The knowledge of vitamin D status in kidney-transplanted children and adolescents is sparse. The present study investigated the vitamin D status of a cohort of kidney-transplanted children and adolescents, and the association between vitamin D status and plasma concentrations of PTH, ionized calcium, and phosphate. The study included 35 patients with a functioning graft. Their mean age was 12.0 yr, and the mean graft age was 2.8 yr. Forty percent of the patients were vitamin D insufficient (P-25-hydroxyvitamin D 40-75 nm), and 14% were deficient (P-25-hydroxyvitamin D < 40 nm). S-25-hydroxyvitamin D was inversely associated with PTH (p = 0.02) and positively associated with S-1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (p = 0.02). There was no significant association between S-1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D and PTH. In conclusion, we found hypovitaminosis D in 54% of the study population despite the fact that samples were collected in spring and summer months. Hypovitaminosis D was associated with adverse effects on PTH and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D. Our data suggest that it is warranted to monitor vitamin D status of kidney-transplanted children and adolescents and indicate that correction of hypovitaminosis D might have favorable effects on calcium-phosphate metabolism.