Although our studies and others have not been able to find an independent effect of vitamin D metabolites on AKI when evaluating FGF23 [7], it is possible that tissue-level paracrine effects of FGF23 on vitamin D activation and degradation can occur in the absence of major changes in circulating vitamin D levels, and even contribute to endothelial dysfunction [7, 32]. This evidence concerns the gene FGF23 and endothelial dysfunction.