Evaluation of the relationship between 25-hydroxy Vit D (25 OH Vit D) and hemoglobin, and erythropoietin index (EPOI) in hemodialysis

Recent studies have shown that vitamine D stimulates erythropoiesis,. The aim of this study was to evaluate relation of 25 hydroxy Vit D (25 OH Vit D) with hemoglobin and erythropoietin Index (EPOI) in hemodialysis patients.

Our study enrolled 62 HD patients treated at Imam Reza Hospital in year 2012. The patients included 36 men and 26women, in this cross sectional study. Blood samples were obtained for determination of 25 OH Vit D, hemoglobin and EPOI computed (weekly EPO dose/hematocrit). We considered resistance to EPO as EPOI > 300. Pearson’s correlation coefficient method was used for specifying the correlation between variable levels.

The mean age of patients was 42.26±13.28 years. The mean Vit D levels were 26.54 ± 20.28. Overall Twenty four patients (38.7%) had resistance to erythropoietin. In this study we didn`t find any correlation between 25 OH Vit D and hemoglobin and EPOI. In patients with EPOI > 300, there was an inverse significant correlation between 25 OH Vit D and EPOI (r=-0.42, p=0.04).

In spite of absence of relationship between EPOI and 25 OH Vit D levels in our study, in HD patients who showed resistance to erythropoietin, it might be an inverse significant correlation between 25 OH Vit D and EPOI, that should be approved in further studies.