The effect of 1 alpha-hydroxyvitamin D3 on cell-mediated immunity in hemodialyzed patients

The immunoregulatory effect of 1 alpha-hydroxyvitamin D3 (1 alpha OHD3), a precursor form of active vitamin D3, was examined in hemodialyzed patients. Four weeks of oral administration of 0.5 micrograms/day 1 alpha OHD3 markedly enhanced the lymphoproliferative responses to mitogens without influencing lymphocyte counts or the ratios of lymphocyte subpopulations. In fact, these responses were nearly normal after treatment. These results suggest that deficiency of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 may play a role in the impairment of cellular immunity in hemodialyzed patients, and that administration of 1 alpha OHD3 may have therapeutic immunological benefit.