RETRACTED ARTICLE: Evaluation of the Relationship Between Serum Vitamin D Level and Severity of Sepsis

Abstract

Background: On the basis of the literature, vitamin D is known as an important medium in bodily immune function, and it therefore may play a role in the pathogenesis of sepsis. Objectives: In this study, we aimed to evaluate the relationship between vitamin D serum levels and sepsis severity. Patients and Methods: This study was a case-control study that evaluated adult patients admitted to the emergency department of Imam Reza hospital with suspected sepsis. These patients were enrolled in the study as the case group. In addition, healthy individuals without the sepsis diagnostic criteria were included in the control group. For all of the study participants, vitamin D levels were evaluated. The acute physiology age chronic health evaluation (APACHE) was used to evaluate disease severity in the case group. A difference of P < 0.05 was regarded as statistically significant. Results: A total of 112 patients were assessed: 56 in the control group and 56 in the case group. In the case group, 18 patients had sepsis, 25 patients had severe sepsis, and 13 patients were in septic shock. The mean ages of the patients in the case and control groups were 57.7 ± 15.15 and 58.6 ± 15.05 years, respectively (P = 0.741). Vitamin D levels in the case group were lower than in the control group (16.3 ± 10.7 versus 27.9 ± 11.46 ng/mL), and the difference between the groups was significant (P < 0.001). Mean vitamin D levels in the severe sepsis and septic shock groups were lower than in the sepsis group, and the mean level in the septic shock group was lower than in the severe sepsis group (P = 0.001). In the case group, there was a significant reverse correlation between APACHE II criteria and vitamin D levels (P < 0.001, r = -0.586). Conclusions: The results of this study indicated that patients with sepsis had lower serum vitamin D levels than healthy controls. Also, patients with more severe disease had lower serum vitamin D levels, but to evaluate causation and determine whether vitamin D supplementation could be effective in reducing the risk or severity of sepsis, randomized controlled trials should be conducted.