Vitamin K1 and K2 in the Diet of Patients in the Long Term after Kidney Transplantation

Vitamin K, especially its K2 form, is considered to be a protective factor against developing vascular changes and bone lesions that are common complications in kidney transplant (KTx) recipients. There is a growing number of studies showing that KTx patients are at risk of vitamin K deficiency. The aim of this study was to evaluate the intake of vitamin K1 and K2 in the diet of patients in the late period after KTx. During a routine visit at one outpatient transplantation clinic in Central Europe, a diet survey questionnaire was filled in by 151 clinically stable KTx recipients and compared with medical history, anthropometric measurements and laboratory tests. Mean vitamin K1 intake was 120.9 +/- 49 mu g/day and vitamin K2 (MK, menaquinone) intake 28.69 +/- 11.36 mu g/day, including: MK-4: 25.9 +/- 9.9 mu g/day; MK-5: 0.1 +/- 0.2 mu g/day; MK-6: 0.2 +/- 0.4 mu g/day; MK-7: 0.2 +/- 0.23 mu g/day; MK-8: 1 +/- 1.9 mu g/day; MK-9: 0.9 +/- 2.3 mu g/day; and MK-10: 0.2 +/- 0.5 mu g/day. Our study showed that KTx recipients' diets contained adequate amounts of vitamin K1, whereas the intake of vitamin K2 seemed insufficient.

Automated summary

This study evaluated the intake of vitamin K1 and K2 in the diet of patients in the late period after kidney transplantation. The results showed that the intake of vitamin K1 was adequate, while the intake of vitamin K2 seemed insufficient.