Abstract:
Objective Total 25(OH)D (t-25OHD), a marker traditionally used in the assessment of vitamin D (VitD) in the human body, includes 25(OH)D2, 25(OH)D3, and C3-epimers-25(OH)D3 (C3-epi). In this study, we analyzed the relationship between serum VitD metabolites and renal impairment in patients with diabetic kidney disease (DKD).
Methods We covered, in the study, 339 subjects, including 114 otherwise healthy controls (HC), 74 type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) patients with no glomerular filtration dysfunction, and 151 DKD patients. According to the results of combined evaluation of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR), the DKD patients were further divided into four subgroups, stage 2 subgroup of patients of DM combined with stage-2 chronic kidney disease (CKD2), stage 3 subgroup of patients of DM combined with CKD3, stage 4 subgroup of patients of DM combined with CKD4, and stage 5 subgroup of patients of DM combined with CKD5. The levels of 25(OH)D2, 25(OH)D3, and C3-epi were measured by ultra performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS), and the activity level of 25(OH)3 (AVitD3), t-25(OH)D concentration, 25(OH)D2/25(OH)D3 ratio, C3-epi/t-25(OH)D ratio, and C3-epi/AVitD3 ratio were calculated.
Results The levels of 25(OH)D3, t-25(OH)D, and AVitD3 were lower in the DKD group than those in the DM and HC groups (all P<0.05). C3-epi/t-25(OH)D ratio and C3-epi/AVitD3 ratio were higher in the DKD group than those in the HC group (all P<0.05). The levels of 25(OH)D3, t-25(OH)D, AVitD3, and C3-epi were lower in the stage 5 subgroup than those in the stage 2 and stage 3 subgroups (all P<0.05). The levels of 25(OH)D3, t-25(OH)D, and C3-epi were lower in the stage 4 subgroup than those in the stage 3 subgroup (all P<0.05). The 25(OH)D3, t-25(OH)D, and AVitD3 levels were lower in the stage 4 subgroup than those in the stage 2 subgroup (all P<0.05).
Conclusions UPLC-MS/MS can be used to perform accurate evaluation of VitD nutritional status in DKD patients. DKD patients have decreased levels of serum t-25(OH)D, 25(OH)D3, and AVitD3, all of which progressively decrease along with the rise in CKD staging. The trend of C3-epi and 25(OH)D3 changes were not consistent.