Exploring links between vitamin D deficiency and COVID-19.

Mradul Mohan,Amit Sharma,Jerin Jose Cherian,Anuradha Chowdhary

doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1008874

Abstract

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic remains a major public health threat in most countries. The causative severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus can lead to acute respiratory distress syndrome and result in mortality in COVID-19 patients. Vitamin D is an immunomodulator hormone with established effectiveness against various upper respiratory infections. Vitamin D can stall hyper-inflammatory responses and expedite healing process of the affected areas, primarily in the lung tissue. Thus, there are ecological and mechanistic reasons to promote exploration of vitamin D action in COVID-19 patients. As no curative drugs are available currently for COVID-19, we feel that the potential of vitamin D to alter the course of disease severity needs to be investigated. Clinical studies may be undertaken to address the value of vitamin D supplementation in deficient, high-risk COVID-19 patients.

Highlights

Funding: "This study has not received any funding
Macrophages, neutrophils, and T cells get activated through sustained elevation of cytokines including interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha, resulting in type 2 pneumocyte apoptosis, and in some patients a path that leads to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) [2]
Immune dysregulation is a key feature of severe COVID-19

Summary

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The first one is whether there is an association between vitamin D deficiency and susceptibility to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). The second is whether vitamin D administration to deficient individuals can prevent infection or alter the course of disease severity. The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infects pulmonary epithelial cells using the angiotensin converting enzyme-2 (ACE-2) receptor [1]. SARS-CoV-2 infects macrophages through ACE-2 receptors and activates them [2]. The host responses are sometimes amplified by an overwhelming expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines [3]. This ‘cytokine storm’ is responsible for some of the serious manifestations of COVID-19 such as ARDS (Fig 1A) [3].

Vitamin D and the host immune system

Findings

Conclusions