title: Vitamin D status is insufficient in the majority of children at diagnosis of nephrotic syndrome.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Children with nephrotic syndrome (NS) are treated for at least 12 weeks with high doses of prednisolone, which may be harmful to the bones. Vitamin D deficiency is also harmful to the bones.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a prospective study of consecutive children with first episode of NS at the time of their diagnosis before treatment with glucocorticoids. The following plasma levels were measured: 25-hydroxy-vitamin-D (25(OH)D), albumin, ionised calcium, phosphate, parathyroid hormone (PTH), alkaline phosphatase and creatinine. The glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was estimated from the Schwartz formula, and only patients with normal values were included.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 14 children were examined, 13 (93%) had 25(OH)D deficiency including 12 (86%) with moderate or severe vitamin D deficiency. The plasma 25(OH)D was positively associated with plasma albumin (p = 0.031) and negatively with PTH (p = 0.003), phosphate (p = 0.016) and body mass index percentile (p = 0.022). PTH was negatively associated with albumin (p = 0.019) and the estimated GFR (p = 0.007), and positively associated with phosphate (p = 0.008), 24-h urine protein/m2 (p = 0.018) and systolic blood pressure percentiles (p = 0.048).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The vitamin D status was insufficient in 93% of the patients. We suggest that vitamin D status in children with NS be measured routinely at the time of diagnosis so that an individual treatment strategy for vitamin D deficiency can be given. Further studies are needed to evaluate the effect of such treatment.
authors: Børneafdelingen, Hvidovre Hospital, Kettegård Allé 30, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark. dina.cortes@regionh.dk.
authors: Cecilie Ane
authors: CA
authors: Nielsen
authors: Jens-Erik Bech
authors: JE
authors: Jensen
authors: Dina
authors: D
authors: Cortes
mesh_terms: D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000097:blood; D002118:Calcium / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003401:Creatine / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005919:Glomerular Filtration Rate; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009404:Nephrotic Syndrome / Q000097:blood*; D009752:Nutritional Status; D010281:Parathyroid Hormone / Q000097:blood; D010710:Phosphates / Q000097:blood; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000032:analysis; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D010281:Parathyroid Hormone; D010710:Phosphates; D012709:Serum Albumin; D014807:Vitamin D; C104450:25-hydroxyvitamin D; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase; D003401:Creatine; D002118:Calcium