title: The effect of Vitamin D administration on treatment of anemia in end-stage renal disease patients with Vitamin D deficiency on hemodialysis: A placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chronic kidney disease is a progressive and irreversible loss of renal function. Anemia is one of the main complications of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) which is linked closely with other complications of the disease. The primary therapy for anemia in these patients is erythropoietin (EPO). The goal of this study was to find the effect of Vitamin D administration in addition to the appropriate dose of EPO in ESRD patients with Vitamin D deficiency.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a double-blind clinical trial on 64 ESRD patients undergoing hemodialysis in Amin and Noor Hospitals of Isfahan, Iran. The patients were divided into two groups of control and intervention. The intervention group was given Vitamin D supplements and the control group received placebo. The required dose of EPO to reach the target hemoglobin (Hb) was measured and statistically analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total number of 32 females and 32 males were included in this study. All the patients in the treatment group were aged between 18 and 76 and the patients in the control group were aged between 21 and 76 years old. There was a significant statistical relationship between Vitamin D administration and the required dose of EPO in both groups (P = 0.013). However, there was no correlation between the concentration of Hb and serum Vitamin D levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on the main finding of this study, the relationship between Vitamin D administration and required dose of EPO seems that the predicted dose of Vitamin D prescribing strategy in Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative guidelines is not adequate to achieve normal serum Vitamin D in ESRD patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Afsoon Emami
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Naini
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Zahra Parin
authors.initials: ZP
authors.lastname: Hedaiati
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Danial
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gholami
authors.affiliation: Isfahan Medical Students Research Center (IMSRC), Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Amir Hossein
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Pezeshki
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Firoozeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Moinzadeh
keywords: Anemia; Vitamin D deficiency; chronic kidney disease; end stage renal disease; erythropoietin