The effects of calcitriol with calcium carbonate supplementation on inflammatory biomarkers in chronic kidney disease patients' with low vitamin D.

Abstract

IntroductionChronic kidney disease (CKD) patients’ are at risk of low vitamin D and chronic inflammation. We studied the effect of 12 weeks calcitriol and calcium carbonate supplementation on inflammatory mediators serum; interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-10 (IL-10) and highly sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP).Material and methodsA prospective randomized study in CKD stages 2-4 with serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD) levels < 30 ng/ml. Patients were randomized into the Vitamin D + Calcium (Vitamin D + C) or Calcium group. Serums were analyzed at baseline, week 6 and 12.ResultsFifty patients, median age of 53 (13.5) years were recruited. Their median IL-10 was 13.35 (25.22) pg/ml. At week 12, serum IL-6 was reduced in both groups (p = 0.001), serum IL-10 was maintained in the Vitamin D + C group (p = 0.06) and was reduced in the Calcium group (p = 0.001). CKD-diabetic patients had reduced serum IL-6 in both study groups (p = 0.001) and a reduction was seen in the Vitamin D + C group of the non-diabetics counterparts (p = 0.005). Serum IL-10 was reduced in the Calcium group (p < 0.05) whereas serum 25-OHD rose in both groups, regardless of their diabetic status (p < 0.05).ConclusionsTwelve weeks, calcitriol supplementation maintained IL-10, had no effects on hs- CRP and had no additional benefit compared to calcium carbonate in reducing serum IL-6 except in non-diabetics.