Kidney transplant recipients usually have low vitamin D levels, especially in the early posttransplantation period, but the association between vitamin D status with renal outcomes is not well described in this population. Here, we studied a prospective cohort of 634 kidney recipients who underwent transplantation at a single institution between January 2005 and June 2010. In this cohort, low 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations 3 months after transplantation did not predict early death or graft loss but were independently associated with lower measured GFR at 12 months (P=0.001) and higher risk for interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy (P=0.01). In contrast, levels of calcium, phosphorus, calcitriol, parathyroid hormone, or fibroblast growth factor-23 were not consistently associated with any of the studied outcomes. In conclusion, low 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration measured 3 months after transplantation is an independent risk factor for interstitial fibrosis progression and is associated with a lower GFR 1 year after transplantation. 24: 831-841, 201324: 831-841, . doi: 10.1681 Kidney transplantation is the preferred treatment for the increasing number of patients with ESRD. Transplantation allows patients to avoid the heavy constraints associated with dialysis therapy and is associated with a lower mortality and morbidity than is hemodialysis. 1 Evolution of GFR in transplant recipients appears to be imprinted at an early stage after the surgery. Indeed, the estimated GFR (eGFR) reached 1 year after transplantation is critically associated with allograft outcome. 2,3 This observation prompts research on modifiable factors affecting GFR in the first year after transplantation.
J Am Soc NephrolVitamin D is a critical hormone controlling mineral homeostasis. It promotes phosphate and calcium absorption by the gut and increases calcium reabsorption by the renal distal tubule, thereby providing the positive calcium and phosphorus flux required for bone mineralization.