Vitamin D deficiency as a risk factor for renal scarring in recurrent urinary tract infections

Renal scarring is a serious complication in recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs). Vitamin D deficiency has also been reported to be a risk factor for UTIs although, to date, no association between vitamin D deficiency and renal scarring has yet been identified. In the present study, it was investigated whether vitamin D deficiency may be a risk factor for renal scarring in patients with recurrent UTIs.

The study included patients between the ages of 1 and 18 years who were admitted to the pediatric nephrology department of the center between November 1, 2018 and November 1, 2019 and who were diagnosed with recurrent UTIs. The medical records of the patients were reviewed for the collection of demographic data, vitamin D levels, ultrasonography results and scintigraphic investigations with 99m-technetium dimercaptosuccinic acid (^99m Tc-DMSA). The patients were divided into two groups: those with and without renal scarring, diagnosed via ^99m Tc-DMSA. The vitamin D levels and other parameters of the two groups were compared.

Vitamin D deficiency (<20 ng/mL) was observed in 73.9% of the patients without renal scarring, and in 94.1% of those with renal scarring (P = 0.015). A logistic regression analysis revealed vitamin D deficiency to be an independent risk factor for renal scarring in patients with recurrent UTIs (OR = 0.796 [0.691-0.917]).

Vitamin D deficiency is found to be a risk factor for renal scarring in patients with recurrent UTIs. Vitamin D treatment may contribute to the prevention of renal scarring in patients with recurrent UTI.