The effects of calcitriol on albuminuria in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

This study aims to investigate the correlation between albuminuria with vitamin D levels in diabetic patients; an assessment was made on the effects of vitamin D therapy on albuminuria in vitamin D deficiency group of patients. The study is a cross-sectional analysis. A total of 315 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) were enrolled. The serum levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25-(OH)D) and the albumin to creatinine ratio were assessed in all the study patients. Patients with vitamin D deficiency received calcitriol therapy for 24 weeks, following which the laboratory tests were repeated. Pearson’s correlation analysis revealed that vitamin D level was negatively correlated with urinary protein level (r = −0.293, P = 0.04). All these negative relationships still remain after the adjustment for course of diabetes and systolic pressure (SP). A multiple stepwise regression analysis revealed that 25-(OH)D were the main factors that influenced the urinary protein level in people with T2DM. Therapy with calcitriol had a beneficial effect on the albumin excretion rate, and this change was significant (P = 0.01). The effects of calcitriol on reduction of diastolic blood pressure (P = 0.02); glycosylated hemoglobin (P = 0.04); levels of total cholesterol (P = 0.02), low-density lipoprotein (P = 0.00), and high-density lipoprotein (P = 0.01); 25-(OH)D (P = 0.00); parathormone (PTH) (P = 0.04), and blood calcium (P = 0.02) were significant. Our study suggests that vitamin D deficiency has a negative effect on albuminuria in diabetic patients, and its replacement can decrease the albuminuria in diabetic patients, and it also has a beneficial effect on the risk factors of diabetic nephropathy (DN), such as hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and hyperglycemia.