Skip to main content
. 2017 May 11;10:109–122. doi: 10.2147/IJNRD.S97637

Table 1.

Vitamin D terminology

Vitamin D2 and metabolites Vitamin D3 and metabolites Collective terminology
Prohormone
(native vitamin)
Abbreviation D2 D3 D
Full term Vitamin D2 Vitamin D3 Vitamin D
Synonym Ergocalciferol Cholecalciferol
Prehormone
(product of 1st hydroxylation)
Abbreviation 25(OH)D2 25(OH)D3 25(OH)D
Full term 25-Hydroxyvitamin D2 25-Hydroxyvitamin D3 25-Hydroxyvitamin D
Synonym Ercalcidiol Calcidiol
Hormone
(product of 2nd hydroxylation)
Abbreviation 1,25(OH)2D3 1,25(OH)2D3 1,25(OH)2D
Full term 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D2 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D
Synonym Ercalcitriol Calcitriol