Association of Serum Vitamin D Levels with Inflammatory Markers in Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients

Mohammad Esmaeil Hejazi ¹*, Hoorieh Shojaan¹, Niusha Kalami, Babak Alinejati¹, Veghar Hejazi², Akbar Javan Biparva³

This study determined no significant link between serum Vitamin D levels and COVID-19 mortality, except with LDH.

Abstract

Background: In recent years, global concern has focused on Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Multiple studies have suggested a potential connection between 1,25-dihydroxy Vitamin D levels and patient prognosis. Inflammatory markers have been identified as useful indicators for assessing the prognosis of hospitalized patients. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between Vitamin D levels, inflammatory markers, and patient prognosis in cases of COVID-19. Methods: This descriptive-analytical study included 906 patients with COVID-19. Serum Vitamin D levels were measured and categorized into three groups: less than 20 ng/mL, between 20–30 ng/mL, and more than 30 ng/mL. Additionally, inflammatory markers, such as C-reactive protein (CRP) and Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH), were evaluated. The study also addressed the analysis of CT scan findings and patient prognosis. Results: Of the total patients, 497 (54.9%) were male and 409 were female. The mean serum Vitamin D level was 40.10 ± 37.06 ng/mL, while the mean LDH and mean WBC levels were recorded at 696.38 ± 610.19 U/L and 9058.46 ± 6309.80 per microliter, respectively. CRP levels were classified as +1 in 296 patients (32.7%), +2 in 260 patients (28.7%), and +3 in 7 patients (0.8%). In terms of patient prognosis, 62 patients (6.8%) required intubation, and the mortality rate was 18.0% (163 patients). A statistically significant relationship was found between serum Vitamin D and LDH levels (p = 0.015). The findings indicated an insignificant relationship of serum Vitamin D levels with lymphocyte levels (p = 0.619), body mass index (BMI; p = 0.225), and CRP levels (p = 0.985). Furthermore, no relationship was found between patient mortality and serum Vitamin D levels (p = 0.5). Conclusion: Although Vitamin D has confirmed immunomodulatory effects in many studies, this study found no significant relationship between serum Vitamin D levels and mortality or other inflammatory markers in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. However, a statistically significant correlation was observed between LDH levels and serum Vitamin D.

Keywords: Vitamin D, COVID-19, inflammatory markers, serum LDH, immune response

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