Abstract
The concentrations of (24R)-24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [24,25(OH)2D3], 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 [25(OH)D3] and its 3-sulphate [25(OH)D33S] in the plasma of healthy subjects, patients with chronic renal failure, patients with climacteric syndrome, pregnant women and foetuses were determined using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and high-performance liquid chromatography. 25(OH)D33S was not detected in about one-third of the plasma samples from patients with chronic renal failure (n = 26). The three metabolites in maternal plasma reached the highest levels in the second trimester of pregnancy followed by a decrease to the values obtained in the first trimester. Older healthy women (age range 44–71 years) showed higher levels of 24,25(OH)2D3 and 25(OH)D3 in the plasma than did young healthy women (age range 21–29 years), whereas no clear difference was observed between the older healthy women and patients with climacteric syndrome. The level of 25(OH)D33S in the plasma was higher in the latter patients than in healthy women.