Vitamin D Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Vitamin D, including details on sources, melanin, benefits, deficiency, supplements, calcium absorption.

Intravenous alfacalcidol once weekly suppresses parathyroid hormone in hemodialysis patients.

Al-Hilali N, Al-Humoud H, Al-Helal B, Al-Azmi M, Al-Kandari NH, Johny KV

Department of Medicine, Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital, Hawally, Kuwait. dralhilali@yahoo.com

Management of secondary hyperparathyroidism is difficult because of the interrelationship of parathyroid hormone, calcium and phosphorus. This study was carried out to assess the efficacy of intravenous administration of alfacalcidol once weekly versus twice weekly in patients with severe hyperparathyroidism. Twenty-one hemodialysis patients with intact parathyroid hormone >88 pmol/L were divided into two groups. Eleven patients (Group 1) were given a once-weekly alfacalcidol intravenously for 12 weeks. The starting dose was 4 microg which was increased or decreased by 1 microg per week. Ten patients (Group 2) were given twice-weekly alfacalcidol intravenously for 12 weeks. The starting dose was 2 microg twice weekly which was increased or decreased by 0.5 microg/dose. The dose was increased or decreased according to serum calcium and phosphorus levels. Serum calcium, phosphorus and alkaline phosphatase levels were measured weekly and intact parathyroid hormone every 4 weeks. Intact parathyroid hormone reduced significantly (P = 0.0001) from 128.12 +/- 35.42 pmol/L to 82.93 +/- 65.20 pmol/L and from 113.74 +/- 40.83 pmol/L to 64.24 +/- 35.17 pmol/L after 4 weeks in Groups 1 and 2, respectively. After 4 weeks alkaline phosphatase declined significantly (P = 0.0001) from 146.0 +/- 57.3 IU/L to 116.0 +/- 45.6 IU/L in Group 1 and from 139.0 +/- 45.1 IU/L to 116.6 +/- 38 IU/L in Group 2. There were no significant differences in serum levels of calcium, phosphorous or their product. Interestingly, an adenoma disappeared in one patient from Group 1, and out of two adenomas, one disappeared from another patient in the same group. These results indicate that intravenous alfacalcidol once weekly is safe and effective in suppressing high parathyroid hormone in hemodialysis patients.

Published 4 April 2008 in Ther Apher Dial, 12(2): 137-42.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

Articles on Vitamin D published 2 April 2008:

Effect of preoperative combined treatment with alendronate and calcitriol on fixation of hydroxyapatite-coated implants in ovariectomized rats.   J Bone Joint Surg Am, 90(4): 824-32.

BACKGROUND: Osteoporosis is a potential risk factor affecting implant stability following total joint arthroplasty. Bisphosphonates are potent inhibitors of osteoblastic bone resorption, and vitamin D is an important hormone involved in the regulation of calcium metabolism. We investigated the benefit of preoperative treatment with alendronate, vitamin D (calcitriol), or a combination of these substances on fixation of hydroxyapatite-coated implants in an ovariectomized rat model of ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Vitamin D published 1 April 2008:

1,25(OH)2-vitamin D3 inhibits proliferation and decreases production of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, thrombopoietin, VEGF, and angiogenin by human annulus cells in vitro.   Spine, 33(7): 755-65.

STUDY DESIGN: Human lumbar anulus tissue and cultured human lumbar anulus cells were used in retrospective studies of the immunocytochemical localization of the vitamin D receptor (VDR) in disc tissue, and of the in vitro effects of the active metabolite of vitamin D, 1,25(OH)2D3, on anulus cell proliferation, cytokine, and proteoglycan (PG) production. 24,25-D3 was also analyzed. Studies were approved by the authors' Human Subjects Institutional Review Board. Discs were obtained from surgical ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Vitamin D published 25 March 2008:

Plasma 1,25(OH)2D levels decrease in postmenopausal women with hypovitaminosis D.   Eur J Endocrinol, 158(4): 571-6.

OBJECTIVE: Although calcitriol (1,25(OH)2D) is considered the biologically active vitamin D metabolite, several studies have shown that calcidiol (25OHD) is the vitamin D metabolite that is most closely linked to parathyroid function and indices of calcium homeostasis. Moreover, low levels of 25OHD have been associated with increased risk of different diseases including cancer, diabetes, and myopathy. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. METHODS: We studied relations between plasma concentrations of ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Vitamin D published 24 March 2008:

Chronic ethanol consumption leads to disruption of vitamin D3 homeostasis associated with induction of renal 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D3-24-hydroxylase (CYP24A1).   Endocrinology, 149(4): 1748-56.

Bone loss resulting from chronic ethanol (EtOH) abuse is frequently accompanied by altered vitamin D3 homeostasis. In the current study, we examined EtOH effects in a female rat model in which control or EtOH-containing diets were infused intragastrically. EtOH treatment reduced plasma 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol (1,25 (OH)2 D3) coincident with a decrease in renal CYP27B1 (25(OH)D3 1alpha-hydroxylase) mRNA and an increase in expression of renal CYP24A1 (1,25 (OH)2 D3- 24-hydroxylase). EtOH ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Vitamin D published 21 March 2008:

Dietary intake of dairy products, calcium, and vitamin D and the risk of hypertension in middle-aged and older women.   Hypertension, 51(4): 1073-9.

Prospective data on the associations between intake of dairy products and its nutrient components with risk of hypertension remain limited. We therefore investigated the associations of intake of dairy products, calcium, and vitamin D with the incidence of hypertension in a prospective cohort of 28,886 US women aged >or=45 years. Intake of dairy products, calcium, and vitamin D at baseline were assessed from semiquantitative food frequency questionnaires. Incident cases of hypertension ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Vitamin D published 20 March 2008:

The effect of ultraviolet B-induced vitamin D levels on host resistance to Mycobacterium tuberculosis: a pilot study in immigrant Asian adults living in the United Kingdom.   Photodermatol Photoimmunol Photomed, 24(2): 97-8.

Asian immigrants to the United Kingdom demonstrate much higher tuberculosis rates than the indigenous population. This is postulated to be because of their low vitamin D levels, consequent upon a combination of diet and their reduced ultraviolet (UV) exposure in the United Kingdom, because vitamin D enhances antimycobacterial activity in in vitro systems. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between UVB exposure, vitamin D levels and tuberculo-immunity in Asian immigrants in ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Vitamin D published 19 March 2008:

Vitamin D intake and risks of systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis in women.   Ann Rheum Dis, 67(4): 530-5.

OBJECTIVES: Vitamin D has immune-modulating effects and may protect against the development of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: We identified incident cases of SLE and RA among 186 389 women followed from 1980 to 2002 in the Nurses' Health Study and Nurses' Health Study II cohorts. We excluded subjects where SLE or RA was not confirmed by medical record review, and those who failed to return questionnaires. Semi-quantitative food frequency ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Vitamin D published 13 March 2008:

Vitamin D regulation of cathelicidin in the skin: toward a renaissance of vitamin D in dermatology?   J Invest Dermatol, 128(4): 773-5.

1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D(3), the active form of vitamin D, is a major regulator of the expression of the cationic antimicrobial peptide cathelicidin, not only in monocytes but also in epidermal keratinocytes. The involvement of cathelicidin in wound healing and skin diseases as diverse as psoriasis, rosacea, and atopic dermatitis may create new opportunities for the use of vitamin D in dermatology. [Abstract] [Full-text]

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