Objective: The goal of this study was to examine the effects of a single oral dose of 300,000 international units of either ergocalciferol (D₂) or cholecalciferol (D₃) on the plasma levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis.
Methods: Inclusion criteria for this study were diagnosis of alcoholic liver cirrhosis and plasma levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D less than 25 nmol/l. At baseline, patients were divided into Child-Pugh groups A, B, or C and were given one oral dose of 300,000 international units of ergocalciferol (D₂ group, N=23) or cholecalciferol (D₃ group, N=13). Plasma concentrations of 25(OH) vitamin D and vitamin D-binding protein were measured on days 0, 7, 30, and 90.
Results: On days 7 and 30, patients from the D₃ group had higher vitamin D levels than patients from the D₂ group (P<0.05). On day 7, vitamin D levels were found to correlate with Child-Pugh scores from patients in the D₃ group. For patients in the D₂ group, there was a positive correlation between vitamin D and vitamin D-binding protein as indicated by the area under the concentration versus time curves (Spearmen's ρ=0.64 P<0.001).
Conclusion: In patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis, a single oral megadose of cholecalciferol was more effective than ergocalciferol in the treatment of vitamin D deficiency. Severe liver disease and low levels of vitamin D-binding protein were predictors for poor treatment outcomes.