Vitamin D Receptor Activity, Vitamin D Status, and Development of De-novo Donor-specific Antibody after Renal Transplantation

INTRODUCTION: Vitamin D has immunomodulatory properties and could have a role in allograft outcome. METHODS: Fifty-two chronic kidney disease patients going for transplantation were studied for vitamin-D receptor (VDR) activity, 25(OH)D, estimated glomerular filtration rate (e-GFR), and de-novo donor-specific antibody (d-DSA). RESULTS: Vitamin D deficiency was seen in 25% of recipients before transplant (26.09 ± 12.19 ng/ml), in 48.1% at 6 months posttransplant (23.36 ± 15.11 ng/ml). VDR activity before the transplant was 15.41 ± 31.41 ng/ml, which was similar to control group (13.24 ± 9.78 ng/ml), and after transplantation showed an increase at 3 months to 21.91 ± 38.80 ng/ml and at 6 months to 26.03 ± 53.90 ng/ml. d-DSA developed in 27.3% and 6.7% patients of vitamin D-deficient patients (levels <31 ng/ml) and non-deficient (levels ≥20 ng/ml) patients respectively (P < 0.042). Low VDR activity at 3 months posttransplant was associated with significantly higher d-DSA positivity (33.3%) as compared to the group with normal VDR activity where d-DSA developed only in 5.9% of patients (P < 0.009). Patients with vitamin D levels <20 ng/ml and the group with low VDR activity at 3 months had significantly less e-GFR at 1 year after transplant. CONCLUSION: d-DSA was associated with vitamin D deficiency and low VDR activity with decreased graft GFR at 12 months posttransplant.