Background and aim: Vitamin D deficiency is frequently reported in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection. The aim of this study was to correlate the 25OH-Vitamin D serum concentrations with clinical parameters of lung involvement, in elderly patients hospitalized for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Methods: Sixty-five consecutive COVID-19 patients (mean age 76 ± 13 years) and sixty-five sex- and age-matched control subjects (CNT) were analyzed. The following clinical parameters, including comorbidities, were collected at admission: type of pulmonary involvement, respiratory parameters (PaO 2 , SO 2 , PaCO 2 , PaO 2 /FiO 2 ), laboratory parameters (including 25OH-vitamin D, D-dimer, C-reactive protein). Results: Significantly lower vitamin D serum levels were found in COVID-19 patients than in CNT (median 7.9 vs. 16.3 ng/mL, p = 0.001). Interestingly, a statistically significant positive correlation was observed between vitamin D serum levels and PaO 2 ( p = 0.03), SO 2 ( p = 0.05), PaO 2 /FiO 2 ( p = 0.02), while a statistically significant negative correlation was found between vitamin D serum levels and D-dimer ( p = 0.04), C-reactive protein ( p = 0.04) and percentage of O 2 in a venturi mask ( p = 0.04). A negative correlation was also observed between vitamin D serum levels and severity of radiologic pulmonary involvement, evaluated by computed tomography: in particular, vitamin D was found significantly lower in COVID-19 patients with either multiple lung consolidations ( p = 0.0001) or diffuse/severe interstitial lung involvement than in those with mild involvement ( p = 0.05). Finally, significantly lower vitamin D serum levels were found in the elderly COVID-19 patients who died during hospitalization, compared to those who survived (median 3.0 vs. 8.4 ng/mL, p = 0.046). Conclusions: This study confirms that 25OH-vitamin D serum deficiency is associated with more severe lung involvement, longer disease duration and risk of death, in elderly COVID-19 patients. The detection of low vitamin D levels also in younger COVID-19 patients with less comorbidities further suggests vitamin D deficiency as crucial risk factor at any age.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, Vitamin D, lung involvement, disease severity, 【초록키워드】 Hospitalized, Vitamin D, Hospitalization, SARS-COV-2 infection, severity, lung involvement, Infection, Comorbidities, Comorbidity, Sex, C-reactive protein, D-dimer, risk factor, elderly patients, vitamin D deficiency, Computed tomography, serum, Laboratory parameters, Mild, age, respiratory, disease, parameters, COVID-19 patients, Clinical parameters, Concentration, COVID-19 patient, Elderly patient, risk of death, deficiency, C-reactive protein), subject, positive correlation, vitamin D level, pulmonary involvement, 25OH-vitamin D, interstitial lung involvement, multiple lung consolidations, negative correlation, respiratory parameters, venturi mask, significantly lower, clinical parameter, laboratory parameter, analyzed, radiologic, collected, died, reported, evaluated, median, less, statistically significant, 25OH-vitamin D serum, age-matched control, CNT, multiple lung consolidation, PaO, patients with SARS-CoV-2, respiratory parameter, those who survived, vitamin D serum, 【제목키워드】 Vitamin D, elderly,