Kidney and Vitamin D

Question 1

What is cholecalciferol?

Answer 1

Vitamin D3 aka inactive form of Vitamin D

Question 2

What is 7-Dehydrocholesterol?

Answer 2

A compound found in skin that enables humans to manufacture cholecalciferol from ultraviolet rays

Question 3

What is 25-hydroxylase and what is its role?

Answer 3

It is an enzyme within the liver that hydroxylates cholecalciferol into 25-hydroxycholecalciferolis

Question 4

What is 1-alpha-hydroxylase and what is its role?

Answer 4

It is an enzyme within the kidney that hydroxylates 25-hydroxycholecalciferolinto 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol

Question 5

What is 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol?

Answer 5

The active form of Vitamin D, Calcitriol.

Question 6

What is the role of Vitamin D in the body?

Answer 6

• Calcitriol is technically a hormone
• This hormone enables calcium reabsorption from the kidney’s renal tubules and promotes absorption of dietary calcium
• If Vitamin D is low, the body must take calcium from the bones, weakening them

Question 7

List signs and symptoms of a calcium deficiency

Answer 7

• Neurological: confusion, mental retardation, behaviour changes, paraesthesia, psychosis, seizures, depression
• Muscular: muscle cramping
• Cardiac disorders
• Respiratory: stridor, bronchospasm, laryngospasm
• Dental: Hypoplasia, hypomineralisation, delayed eruption
• Osteoporosis

Question 8

List oral health considerations for patients with osteoporosis

Answer 8

• Associated with tooth loss
• Patients taking bisphosphonate: BRONJ
• Low vertebral bone mineral density BMD
• Trabecular bone and mandibular angular cortex = low density