Mineral Metabolism and Vascular Effects of Vitamin D Therapy in Kidney Transplant Patients

Patients with kidney failure on dialysis can be successfully transplanted. However, many of them do not attain a normal kidney function and/or present a slow deterioration of kidney function after transplantation. As a consequence, they can develop an endocrine disorder called hyperparathyroidism, which can cause bone disease and a high risk of bone fractures. In spite of the known bone disease and hyperparathyroidism, there is no well defined treatment for these patients. Moreover, kidney transplant recipients present a higher mortality rate compared to the general population, and the principal cause of death is cardiovascular disease. Dialysis patients are known to have extensive cardiovascular calcifications and increased vascular stiffness, and these factors have been closely associated with cardiovascular mortality. The effect of vitamin D on bone health is well known in the general population. Many studies showed a reduction in fracture rate in post-menopausal women and older men receiving vitamin D and calcium supplements. Vitamin D analogues are also commonly used to treat hyperparathyroidism in dialysis patients. Finally, vitamin D has been suggested to have beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system and to reduce mortality in dialysis patients. Hectorol® is a vitamin D analog which has been demonstrated to effectively treat hyperparathyroidism in dialysis and pre-dialysis patients. The effects of vitamin D supplementation on bone disease, hyperparathyroidism and cardiovascular function in kidney transplant recipients have not been properly studied. Whether Hectorol® therapy helps reducing the severity of bone disease and improving vascular function in kidney transplant recipients is still unknown.