Publication
Vitamin D deficiency is common in kidney transplant recipients, but is not associated with infections after transplantation
Journal Paper/Review - Jan 6, 2020
Schreiber Peter W, Mueller Nicolas J, Maja Weisser, Saleh Lanja, Meylan Pascal, Manuel Oriol, Hirzel Cédric, Hirsch Hans H, Garzoni Christian, Fehr Thomas, Enriquez Natalia, Van Delden Christian, Bonani Marco, Boggian Katia, Bischoff-Ferrari Heike A, Kusejko Katharina, Swiss Transplant Cohort Study (STCS)
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Brief description/objective
The relevance of vitamin D for infections after kidney transplantation is poorly defined. 25-OH vitamin D (25-OHD) levels of 135 kidney transplant recipients, enrolled in the Swiss Transplant Cohort Study, were determined peri-transplant and 6 months post-transplant. Logistic regression was used to address associations of 25-OHD and overall infections and bacterial infections, respectively. For the first 6 months post-transplant, 25-OHD peri-transplant, and for the second period (after 6 to 30 months post-transplant), 25-OHD at 6 months post-transplant was considered. Vitamin D deficiency was common peri-transplant and remained highly prevalent 6 months after transplantation despite frequent supplementation. Median 25-OHD levels increased from 12.0ng/ml (IQR 5.3-19.5) peri-transplant to 16.5ng/ml (IQR 10.6-22.6) 6 months post-transplant (P=0.005). We did not detect a significant association between 25-OHD and overall infections (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.05, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) 0.44-2.51; aOR 0.67, 95%CI 0.31-1.43) or bacterial infections (aOR 0.79, 95%CI 0.32-1.96; aOR 0.79, 95%CI 0.35-1.75) for the first and second period. To conclude, at both time points vitamin D deficiency was observed in more than 50% of kidney recipients, albeit an increase in 25-OHD in the longitudinal course was observed. No significant association of 25-OHD and infections was detected.