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Low vitamin D exposure is associated with higher risk of infection in renal transplant recipients
Author(s) -
Kalluri Hari V.,
Sacha Lauren M.,
Ingemi Amanda I.,
Shullo Michael A.,
Johnson Heather J.,
Sood Puneet,
Tevar Amit D.,
Humar Abhinav,
Venkataramanan Raman
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
clinical transplantation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.918
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1399-0012
pISSN - 0902-0063
DOI - 10.1111/ctr.12955
Subject(s) - medicine , vitamin d and neurology , transplantation , incidence (geometry) , odds ratio , kidney transplantation , gastroenterology , retrospective cohort study , vitamin d deficiency , vitamin , rate ratio , cohort study , confidence interval , physics , optics
Abstract Background Vitamin D is a steroid hormone with multiple vital roles within the immune system. Various studies evaluated the influence of vitamin D on infections postrenal transplantation and found contrasting results. This study aimed to assess the relationship between vitamin D status and the incidence of infection in renal transplant recipients. Methods This is a retrospective cohort study of adult renal transplant recipients at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center between 2005 and 2012. Patients were grouped as vitamin D sufficient (≥30 ng/mL) or deficient (<30 ng/mL) based on total serum 25‐hydroxyvitamin D concentrations. The association between vitamin D levels collected at any point post‐transplantation and incidence of infection within ±90 days of the vitamin D levels were assessed using logistic and Poisson's regression models. Results Vitamin D sufficiency at any point post‐transplantation was significantly associated with a 66% lower odds ( OR : 0.34; 95% CI : 0.22‐0.52; P <.001) and 43% lower rate of infections (incident rate ratio ( IRR ): 0.57; 95% CI : 0.46‐0.71; P <.001) within ±90 days of the vitamin D level. Baseline vitamin D level was also associated with lower incidence and risk for infections within the first year post‐transplantation. Conclusion Adequate levels of vitamin D in kidney transplant recipients are associated with lower infection risk in the first year and at any time post‐transplantation.