scholarly journals Letter to the editor: Vitamin D levels in acute illness and clinical severity in COVID-19 patients

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Prateek Lohia ◽  
Shweta Kapur ◽  
Pragnesh Patel ◽  
Berhane Seyoum

AbstractWe would like to comment on the recently published article titled: “Circulating Vitamin D levels status and clinical prognostic indices in COVID-19 patients” by Ricci et al. The authors grouped the patients into two groups according to the vitamin D levels measured at the time of admission into the hospital and reported that lower vitamin D levels are associated with elevated D-dimer and IL-6 levels, low CD4/CD8 ratio and compromised clinical findings with elevated LIPI and SOFA scores. However, review of recent literature shows this association to be debatable. The 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels in the initial phase of critical illness have been reported to drop rapidly and hence consideration of the time of measurement from symptom onset would have enhanced the clinical relevance of these findings. Inferred association between vitamin D levels and disease severity based on SOFA score in COVID-19 patients, needs to be further explored in the light of the recent literature which casts doubt on using SOFA score at admission to predict mortality in COVID-19.

2005 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 266-271 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Soilu-Hänninen ◽  
L Airas ◽  
I Mononen ◽  
A Heikkilä ◽  
M Viljanen ◽  
...  

Past sun exposure and vitamin D supplementation have been associated with a reduction in the risk of MS. We measured the serum concentration of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) at the time of MS diagnosis in 40 MS patients and 40 controls. We found no difference in the serum levels of 25(OH)D between MS patients and controls when all samples or samples obtained during winter months were compared, but MS patients had significantly lower serum 25(OH)D concentrations in June to September than the controls. The vitamin D stores were adequate for bone metabolism (> 37 nmol/L) in 70% of MS patients throughout the year and within the hypovitaminosis level (< 37 nmol/L) in 30% of MS patients at some time of the year. During MS-relapses, 25(OH)D levels were lower than in remission, but mostly within the reference range observed in relation with normal bone metabolism. We conclude that the vitamin D stores in most MS patients are adequate for their normal bone metabolism. However, lower vitamin D levels during MS relapses than in remission suggest that vitamin D could be involved in the regulation of the clinical disease activity of MS. The optimal serum levels of vitamin D for the regulation of immune responses remain to be determined.


2019 ◽  
Vol 53 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Felix Paolo J. Lizarondo ◽  
Patricia A. Nacianceno ◽  
Claudine Yap-Silva

Background. Alopecia areata is postulated to be an autoimmune disease of which vitamin D may play a role being found in the immune system and hair. Objective. To determine the association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels in patients with alopecia areata compared with healthy controls. Methods. Observational studies on association of vitamin D levels on alopecia areata compared to healthy controls were obtained from all published articles until July 2018 on MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, TRIP, HERDIN, and Google. Review Manager 5.3 was used for the meta-analysis. Results. The search strategy yielded 13 qualified articles for the full-length review and 11 studies, containing 916 patients, were included in the meta-analysis using the pooled random effects model. The pooled mean difference of the serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels between alopecia areata patients and healthy controls was -9.55 (95% CI, -10.51 to -8.59) with heterogeneity (I2=85%). Conclusion. In conclusion, there were reduced levels of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels in alopecia areata compared to healthy controls and vitamin D deficiency was more prevalent in alopecia areata compared to healthy controls. There was also a trend of lower vitamin D levels in the more severe forms of alopecia.


2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 340-347
Author(s):  
Yuge Wang ◽  
Yanqiang Wang ◽  
Bingjun Zhang ◽  
Yinyao Lin ◽  
Sha Tan ◽  
...  

Background and Objective: Vitamin D deficiency is internationally recognized among the potentially modifiable risk factors for ischemic cardio-cerebrovascular diseases. However, the association between vitamin D deficiency and stroke morbidity or mortality remains insufficiently known. Our aim is to investigate their relevance to 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH) D] levels and clinical severity and outcome after 3 months in first-ever ischemic stroke. Methods: Retrospective analysis of 356 consecutive patients in first-ever ischemic stroke between 2013 and 2015. Serum 25(OH) D levels were measured at baseline. Stroke severity was assessed at admission using the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score. Functional outcome after 3 months of onset was evaluated using the modified Rankin scale (mRS). Results: Among the 356 enrolled patients, HbA1c was higher in insufficiency/deficiency group than that in the sufficiency group (6.3 ± 1.7 vs. 5.9 ± 1.1, p =0.015). The hospital stay was longer in insufficiency/deficiency group than that in the sufficiency group (11 (8-17) vs. 9.5 (7-13), p = 0.035). There was a significant inversed trend between serum 25(OH) D levels and hospital stay (OR 0.960, P = 0.031), using logistic regression. Conclusions: 25(OH)D levels are associated with glucose homeostasis, 25(OH) D contributes to increase the length of hospital stay. Low serum 25-OHD level is an independent predictor for hospital stay in first-ever ischemic stroke. Vitamin D deficiency did not predict functional outcome in the span of 3 months.


Author(s):  
Mariam El-Zein ◽  
Farzin Khosrow-Khavar ◽  
Ann N Burchell ◽  
Pierre-Paul Tellier ◽  
Shaun Eintracht ◽  
...  

Abstract Background We assessed the association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and genital human papillomavirus (HPV) prevalence, incidence, and clearance among female participants of the HITCH cohort study. Methods We genotyped HPV DNA in vaginal samples and quantified baseline serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels using Roche’s Linear Array and Total vitamin D assay, respectively. We used logistic and Cox proportional hazards models to respectively estimate adjusted odds ratios (OR) and hazards ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results There was no association between vitamin D levels (every 10ng/mL increase) at baseline and HPV prevalence (OR=0.88, CI:0.73-1.03) or incidence (HR=0.88, CI:0.73-1.06), but we observed a modest negative association with HPV clearance (HR=0.76, CI:0.60-0.96). Vitamin D levels &lt;30ng/mL, compared to ≥30ng/mL, were not associated with HPV prevalence (OR=0.98, CI:0.57-1.69) or incidence (HR=0.87, CI:0.50-1.43), but were associated with a marginally significant increased clearance (OR=2.14, CI:0.99-4.64). We observed consistent results with restricted cubic spline modelling of vitamin D levels and clinically defined categories. HPV type-specific analyses accounting for multiple HPV infections per participant showed no association between vitamin D levels and all study outcomes. Conclusion This study provided no evidence of an association between low vitamin D levels and increased HPV prevalence, acquisition, or clearance.


Author(s):  
Rabar M. Abdulrahman ◽  
Balen Muhsin Abdul Rahman

This retrospective study aimed to determine the levels of 25- hydroxyvitamin D [25-(OH) D] in the individuals that have been referred to two laboratories (Bio Lab and King Lab) and to around 50 private side laboratories that use both Bio Lab and King Lab as a referral lab for their tests, in Erbil city, Iraq. Then show the range of deficiency and its relation with sunlight exposure, sex and age. Out of the total number of cases (N=10823), large percentage (nearly 78%) referred to both clinical laboratory based in Erbil city were found to have a deficiency in vitamin D levels, which means they had 25-(OH) D levels lower than 20 μg/L. This study found the percentage of vitamin D level in the serum of groups insufficient, deficient, adequate, optimal; intoxication were 52.8, 24.1, 11, 12 and 0.2% respectively. When the records have been compared according to gender, the results suggested that there was no difference between male and female within the study population (P>0.05), while there was difference in the grouped ages (P<0.05). Our results indicate that although Erbil is located in a Mediterranean country, people living there should periodically check their 25-(OH) D levels, in order to get appropriate supplements of vitamin D, which eventually prevents secondary chronic disease due to vitamin D deficiency.


2017 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 56-59
Author(s):  
Ivana Goluza ◽  
Jay Borchard ◽  
Nalin Wijesinghe ◽  
Kishan Wijesinghe ◽  
Nagesh Pai

Objectives: The objective of the current study was to examine the pathology test utilisation of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) within an Australian inpatient psychiatric setting. Method: A retrospective audit of 300 random hospital files of those admitted as inpatients between Nov 2014 and Nov 2015 was undertaken. Data was quantitatively analysed and described. Results: The number of inpatients who had a vitamin D determination during their admission was 37/300 (12.33%). The mean vitamin D level of those tested was 51.63 nmol/l. Of those that were tested, 18/37 (48.6%) were mildly to moderately deficient. There was a statistically significant difference in age and length of stay between those that were and were not tested for vitamin D levels, p-value <0.001 and 0.017, respectively. In addition, a simple linear regression indicated a weak association between length of stay and vitamin D levels. Conclusion: This audit highlights vitamin D screening inadequacy. More research is recommended to establish tangible benefits of supplementation, while local practice provides valuable data for education and policy purposes.


2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (5) ◽  
pp. 1595
Author(s):  
Gomathi Priya J ◽  
Seenivasan Venkatasamy ◽  
Karamath S Pyarejan ◽  
Jayachandran K.

Background: Deficiency of 25 hydroxyvitamin D has been linked with predisposition to autoimmune disorders. Also, vitamin D has been found to be a causal factor in many autoimmune diseases. Objective of the study was to investigate vitamin D status in children with autoimmune thyroiditis attending endocrinology OPD at a tertiary centre in southern India.Methods: It is a case control study done in which 75 children (70 female, 5 male) with age and sex matched healthy controls were chosen. Free thyroxine, TSH, anti TPOAb, anti TGAb, 25 hydroxyvitamin D, serum calcium, phosphorus, alkaline phosphatase levels were estimated in both cases and control subjects. Children with anti TPO or anti TG positivity were divided into four groups based on their level of antibody titers.Results: The mean age in cases was 9.8±0.34 years. 25(OH)D levels were significantly lower in cases (15.07±1.14 ng/ml) compared to controls (17.82±1.13 ng/ml) (p<0.0006). Mean serum calcium levels in cases (9.35±0.16 mg/dl) were significantly lower when compared to controls (9.73±0.14 mg/dl) (p<0.0005). Similarly mean serum alkaline phosphatase level in cases (184.97±11.10 IU/L) were significantly elevated when compared with controls (122.37±6.82 IU/L) (p<0.0001). However, there was no significant difference in serum phosphorus levels between cases (4.42±0.10 mg/dl) and controls (4.43±0.14 mg/dl) (p=0.83). There was no significant difference in vitamin D level among the groups in both anti TPO (p< 0.283) and anti TG (p<0.148).Conclusions: The significant decrease in vitamin D levels in cases signifies that 25(OH)D may be an independent causal factor related to the autoimmunity in thyroid diseases. 


2019 ◽  
pp. 278-282
Author(s):  
Mahboobeh-Sadat Hosseini ◽  
Fereshteh Salarvand ◽  
Amir Houshang Ehsani ◽  
Pedram Noormohammadpour ◽  
Shadi Azizzadeh ◽  
...  

Background: The relationship between vitamin D and skin squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is not well defined. Objective: To investigate the relationship between vitamin D levels and the incidence of skin SCC for the first time in Iran. Methods and Study Design: In this case-control study, 126 subjects were enrolled (63 in each group) out of referents to Razi Skin Hospital in Tehran in 2014. The risk factors for cancer gathered by self-reported questionnaires and blood samples were obtained to measure the level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D. Multivariate logistic regression was used to neutralize the effect of confounding factors. Results: Cases of SCC were more likely to be in men, older than 49 years and working in an outdoor environment, and with longtime exposure to sunlight and a personal history of skin cancers. Family history of skin cancer and of cigarette smoking were not significantly related to SCC. In the SCC and control groups, 69.8% and 31.7%, respectively, had sufficient levels of vitamin D (P < 0.001). Mean level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D was 40.99 ng/mL in the SCC group and 26.34 ng/mL in the control group (P < 0.05). In the unadjusted model, the level of vitamin D as a continuous variable was positively related to SCC risk. In the adjusted model, vitamin D did not independently predict the likelihood of SCC. Conclusion: Vitamin D level and SCC risk are directly related, although not in an independent fashion. Indeed, this relation is severely confounded by exposure to sunlight, which was evidenced by an increased vitamin D level in the people working outside and the higher prevalence of SCC in the same population.


2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S393-S393
Author(s):  
A Aksan ◽  
K Böttger ◽  
N Hein ◽  
Y Caicedo-Zea ◽  
I Diehl ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Vitamin D deficiency occurs frequently in patients with Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). While recent cohort studies support an association of vitamin D with important clinical parameters and outcomes in IBD, the complex interplay of inflammation with vitamin D metabolism in IBD poses a viscious circle. We sought to further illucidate the relation between inflammation and different vitamin D parameters. To the best our knowledge, this was the first study to focus on the relationship between vitamin D binding protein (VDBP), circulating total, free, and bioavailable 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), and inflammation, in adult IBD patients. Methods This was a comparative, single-centred, cross-sectional study in patients with IBD aged 18–65 years. Full blood count, transferrin, albumin and hsCRP were determined by standard methods. The presence/absence of inflammation was assessed based on serum hsCRP levels (cutoff &lt;5mg/l). VDBP levels were determined by ELISA, and 25(OH)D by LCMS. Free and bioavailable vitamin D levels were calculated using the validated formula. IBM SPSS version 25.0 was used for statistical analysis. Results In total, 129 subjects with IBD (70 male/59 female; 82 CD/47 UC; mean age 41.7 ± 12.6 years) were enrolled. Of these, 38/129 had inflammation (19 m/19 f; 26 CD/12 UC; 39.6 ± 12.9 years) while 91/129 had no inflammation (40 m/51 f; 56 CD/35 UC; 42.5 ± 12.5 years). Subjects with disease activity had significantly higher leukocyte, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and hsCRP, but lower transferrin, transferrin saturation (TSAT) and albumin levels than those without inflammation (p &lt; 0.05). Average serum levels of 25(OH)D (24.6[6.8–54.8] vs. 26.4[5.0–74.4]ng/ml), free 25(OH)D (5.9[1.3–13.3] vs. 1.0[1.0–21.4]ng/ml) and bioavailable 25(OH)D(2.3 [0.1–4.7] vs. 2.4[0.5–19.5]ng/ml) were similar in patients with vs. without inflammation (p &gt; 0.05). However, VDBP levels were significantly higher in inflammatory conditions (359.6[252.2–530.6] mg/l vs. 327.4[183.5–560.3]mg/l; p &lt; 0.05) and showed a positive correlation with CRP levels (0.293, p &lt; 0.001). Ratio of free/total 25(OH)D correlated negatively with CRP levels (−0.282, p = 0.002). Conclusion High levels of circulating VDBP were associated with inflammatory activity. Moreover, free/total 25(OH)D ratio was inversely associated with inflammation. Other vitamin D parameters including total, free and bioavailable 25(OH)D showed no association with inflammation. These findings suggest that VDBP may play a bigger role than thought as a modulator of vitamin D and inflammation, and that simultaneous detection and investigation of plasma VDBP may provide additional insights into this complex interaction.


2020 ◽  
pp. 145749692096260
Author(s):  
M. A. Salman ◽  
A. Rabiee ◽  
A. Salman ◽  
A. Youssef ◽  
H. E.-D. Shaaban ◽  
...  

Background: We postulated that the preoperative correction of vitamin D levels can significantly reduce the incidence of hunger bone syndrome among patients undergoing parathyroidectomy for primary hyperparathyroidism. Methods: We performed a prospective, randomized, open-label study on 102 patients with primary hyperparathyroidism and coexisting vitamin D deficiency who were scheduled to undergo parathyroidectomy. Patients were divided into the following two groups: group I which included 52 patients who did not receive preoperative vitamin D supplementation; and group II which included 50 patients who received cholecalciferol 1000–2000 IU daily or 50000 IU weekly until they achieve vitamin D levels >20 ng/mL (group IIa = 25 patients) or vitamin D levels >30 ng/mL (group IIb = 25 patients). Results: The incidence of hunger bone syndrome in group IIb was lower than group I and group IIa (8% versus 16% versus 23%, respectively); however, this difference did not reach the level of statistical significance (p = 0.22). Patients with hunger bone syndrome were significantly younger and had higher serum phosphorus, alkaline phosphatase, magnesium, and bone mineral density at baseline than patients without hunger bone syndrome. On the other hand, patients with hunger bone syndrome had significantly lower 25-hydroxyvitamin D at baseline than patients without hunger bone syndrome (p = 0.001). The ROC curve showed that the baseline level of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D was not an independent discriminator of hunger bone syndrome (area under curve = 0.21 (95% CI: 0.06–0.34); p = 0.011). Conclusion: Preoperative course of vitamin D supplements has no preventive role on the postoperative incidence of hunger bone syndrome among patients with primary hyperparathyroidism and coexisting vitamin D deficiency undergoing parathyroidectomy.


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