CINCINNATI—Vitamin D deficiency is more common in children who suffer from kidney disease and contributes to thryroid problems and inflammation. These findings were published online ahead of print in the journal Kidney International.
Researchers from Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center found nearly half of 182 patients (ages 5 to 21) with kidney disease (stages 2 to 5) and a third of age-matched 276 healthy children were 25-hydroxyvitamin D deficient (<20 ng/ml). Further, risk of deficiency was greater in those with advanced stages of the disease.
They also found focal segmental glomerulosclerosis and low albumin were significantly associated with lower 25-hydroxyvitamin D, which was then associated with significantly higher intact parathyroid hormone levels. Resultsfurther showed 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were positively associated with 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D; the relationship was greatest in advanced disease (significant interaction. Low D levels were also inversely related to levels of inflammatory markers C-reactive protein and IL-6, and this association persisted when adjusted for the severity of kidney disease.
