Serum Level of Vitamin K as Predicts Mortality in Iraqi COVID-19 Patients

Abstract

Objectives: This study illustrated the recent evidence supporting COVID-19 as a vascular disease and explore the potential benefits of using vitamin K against COVID-19 to improve disease outcomes. Vitamin K is an essential component preventing blood clotting and a major player of the coagulation system of which a link between vitamin K deficiency and the worst COVID-19 outcomes was recently revealed. Methods: In this case-control study, the participated in the study included 60 patients min-max. Ages (30-50 years), which were diagnosed with quantitative RT-PCR and chest X-ray or CT scan at the 7-13 days from symptoms on set. COVID-19 patients were divided according to disease severity were assessed using Murray scores.  To compare the results, (60) apparently healthy persons of the same ages and gender were included in this study as a control group. All of the patients and healthy persons were subjected to the estimation of serum vitamin K, D-Dimer, CRP, ferritin, lipid profiles, and anthropometric data were analyzed. Results: Serum vitamin K level was lower in COVID-19 patients group compared to healthy control group (612.32 ± 106.76 vs. 1198.95 ± 151.59 ng/ml, p = 0.0001). Ferritin, CRP, and D-dimer serum levels were higher in covid-19 patients compared to control group (p = 0.0001), as well as TC, LDL-C, and VLDL-C in COVID-19 patients showed a significant decrease in the levels included in this study when compared with healthy controls. We also found that serum levels of vitamin K are negative associated with the serum ferritin, D- dimer, and positive correlated with serum levels of TC, LDL-C, and CRP levels. Conclusion: The present results revealed that vitamin K level is lower in patients with COVID-19 especially in severe cases as compared with healthy controls and this low levels indicate a useful tool to predicts higher mortality among patients with COVID-19. These findings suggest that vitamin K could play a role in the disease mechanisms in COVID-19.