01-09-2010 | Review
Vitamin D insufficiency: implications for the immune system
Published in: Pediatric Nephrology | Issue 9/2010
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Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is characterized by a loss of kidney function and dysregulation of vitamin D metabolism. Well known are the defects in final activation of vitamin D to 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25(OH)2D3], resulting in renal osteodystrophy. However, in recent years, 1,25(OH)2D3 has been identified as having effects far beyond calcium and bone metabolism. In this review, specific attention is given to the effects of 1,25(OH)2D3 on the immune system and the implications of vitamin D deficiency, a feature of many patients with CKD, on immune function.