Identification of Markers for Determining the Efficacy of Vitamin D Receptor Activator Therapy in Stage 3/4 CKD Patients
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2012-06-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
The purpose of this study is to identify genes that are responsive to paricalcitol (active
vitamin D) therapy. Scientists have found that over 30 different types of cells in the body
respond to vitamin D therapy, including blood vessels. Low levels of vitamin D may reduce the
amount of calcium in the blood, increase the amount of parathyroid hormone (PTH) and cause
the parathyroid gland (small gland located in the neck) to get bigger which is called
secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT). Also, low levels of vitamin D may worsen the heart
disease seen in dialysis patients. Paricalcitol, a man-made active vitamin D, is a
replacement for vitamin D for preventing and treating SHPT. Studies that followed patients on
dialysis have found: (1) differences in death rates between those who received active vitamin
D compared with no activated vitamin D, and (2) a survival benefit in chronic kidney disease
(CKD) patients receiving paricalcitol, over calcitriol (natural active vitamin D).
Researchers have considered that giving paricalcitol to people with (CKD) may also prevent or
slow the progression of heart disease.
Currently, physicians can only tell how well the vitamin D is working by measuring PTH
concentrations. This study aims to identify markers in the blood that can be used to
determine the efficacy of Vitamin D therapy.