Hasan Esat YÜCEL, Zeynel Abidin ERBEŞLER, Kaan TUR, Mesut ÇELİKER, Naime Meriç KONAR, Cahit UÇAR

Vitamin D deficiency and clinical severity of Covid-19 infection

Aim: COVID-19 infection which emerged at Wuhan, China in 2019 has been continuing to cause major morbidity and mortality. Vaccination, targeted drug therapy, protective measures and immune system modulation with supportive treatment are desperately needed against this viral pathogen caused international pandemic. Vitamin D is a secosteroid which has immunomodulator, antiinflammatory, antifibrotic and antioxidant properties. At this study we aimed to investigate correlation between Vitamin D deficiency and disease severity. Materials and Methods: 225 patients who needed hospitalization has been inducted to the study. Vitamin D levels were measured at the acute period of disease. Patients were divided to two groups; service (n:163) and intensive care (n:62) and mean vitamin D levels between these two groups were compared. Vitamin D levels were classified as follows; severe deficiency: Vitamin≤30 and normal level: vitamin D 30-80 nmol/L. Correlation between Vitamin D level and acute phase reactants which shows infection severity such as Complete blood count, sedimentation, C reactive protein, fibrinogen, ferritin, D-Dimer were investigated. Results: There was a severe vitamin D deficiency at both service and intensive care groups. Intensive care group had statistically significant lower vitamin D level compared to service group. There was a negative correlation between vitamin D and white blood cell, neutrophil count. Conclusion: There is a correlation between vitamin D deficiency and COVID 19 clinical severity. This is a modifiable risk factor and vitamin D treatment should be given at both acute disease and preventive treatment. Vitamin D levels should be brought to optimal levels.

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