title: Relationship between vitamin D levels and depressive symptoms in renal transplant recipients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Vitamin D deficiency might influence the development of depression; however, the association between vitamin D and depression in renal transplant recipients has not been evaluated. We aimed to test if there is a relation between 25-hydroxy (OH) vitamin D levels and depressive symptoms in patients with kidney transplantation.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a cross-sectional and descriptive study. A total of 117 renal transplant recipients (44 female, 73 male; mean age, 39.0 ± 11.7 years) were included in the study. Patients were stratified to two groups according to the cut-off point (7) of depression subscale (D) of Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale (HADS), with or without depression risk. Blood biochemistry, glomerular filtration rate (GFR), and 25-OH vitamin D levels were determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Depression scores were higher than cut-off point in 33.3% (n = 39) of patients. The mean 25-OH vitamin D level was 19.6 ± 12.0 μg/L. In the group with depression risk, 25-OH vitamin D levels were significantly lower than the other group (15.2 ± 9.2 μg/L and 21.9 ± 12.7 μg/L, respectively; p = 0.004). No significant difference was observed between the two groups in terms of demographic parameters, blood biochemistry, and GFR. A negative correlation was detected between HADS-D score and vitamin D levels (r = -0.365, p < 0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Lower serum 25-OH vitamin D levels are associated with higher depressive symptom levels among renal transplantation recipients. This finding should be the basis for further clinical studies and for future prospects on vitamin D supplementation for prevention and treatment of depression in these patients.
authors.affiliation: Ankara Numune Education and Research Hospital, Turkey.
authors.forename: Nihal
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ozkayar
authors.affiliation: Hacettepe University Medical Faculty, Turkey.
authors.forename: Bulent
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Altun
authors.affiliation: Ankara Ahmet Andicen Hospital, Turkey.
authors.forename: Semra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ulusoy
authors.affiliation: Hacettepe University Medical Faculty, Turkey.
authors.forename: Tolga
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yildirim
authors.affiliation: Hacettepe University Medical Faculty, Turkey.
authors.forename: Meltem
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Halil
authors.affiliation: Hacettepe University Medical Faculty, Turkey.
authors.forename: Rahmi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yilmaz
authors.affiliation: Hacettepe University Medical Faculty, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ayman
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Abudalal
authors.affiliation: Hacettepe University Medical Faculty, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mahmut
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Altindal
authors.affiliation: Hacettepe University Medical Faculty, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arici
authors.affiliation: Hacettepe University Medical Faculty, Turkey.
authors.forename: Yunus
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Erdem
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D011594:Psychometrics; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014421:Turkey; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D; C104450:25-hydroxyvitamin D
keywords: depression; glomerular filtration rate; kidney transplantation; vitamin D