Paricalcitol reduces proteinuria in non-dialysis chronic kidney disease patients

Existing treatment of proteinuria is not sufficient to halt the chronic kidney disease (CKD) epidemic. Therefore the aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of paricalcitol on proteinuria in non-dialysis CKD patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism treated according to Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) guidelines. Forty-one non-dialysis CKD patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism (iPTH >65 pg/mL), serum calcium <2.6 mmol/L, serum phosphate <1.8 mmol/L and proteinuria (>150 mg/day) were treated with paricalcitol 1 μg/day. Most were treated for 6 months, with the exception of three patients having iPTH <30 pg/mL after 3 months, in whom therapy was stopped. All patients were followed for 6 months. 24-h ambulatory blood pressure (24hABP) monitoring was performed at 0 and 6 months. Fixed doses of ACE inhibitors and/or ARBs and/or statins were kept for 3 months before and during the study. Forty-one patients (30 men, 11 women; age 62.44 ± 11.93 years) with different primary causes of CKD were enrolled in the study. Urinary albumin/creatinine ratio (UACR), 24-h urinary albuminuria (24hUA) and 24-h urinary quantitative proteinuria (24hUQP) were measured. Values at 0 and 6 months of these parameters were log-transformed for statistical analysis. After treatment with paricalcitol, statistically significant reduction (paired t-test) in 24hUA (P < 0.011) and 24hUQP (P < 0.0001) were found. The reduction of UACR was not significant (P = 0.074). In the observational period no statistically significant reduction in 24hABP was found. Treatment with 1 μg paricalcitol daily according to clinical practice in non-dialysis CKD patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism and proteinuria significantly reduces 24hUA and 24hUQP without significant change in 24hABP.