The benefits of Vitamin D in the COVID-19 pandemic: biochemical and immunological mechanisms

• Published in: Archives of physiology and biochemistry Vol. 129; no. 2; pp. 354 - 362
• Main Authors: Musavi, Hadis, Abazari, Omid, Barartabar, Zeinab, Kalaki-Jouybari, Fatemeh, Hemmati-Dinarvand, Mohsen, Esmaeili, Parisa, Mahjoub, Soleiman
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Taylor & Francis 04.03.2023
• Subjects: ACE2; Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 - metabolism; Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 - pharmacology; COVID-19; Cytokine Release Syndrome; cytokine storm; Humans; Pandemics; Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A; Renin-Angiotensin System; SARS-COV-2; SARS-CoV-2 - metabolism; Vitamin D; Vitamin D - pharmacology; Vitamin D - therapeutic use; Vitamins - pharmacology; Vitamins - therapeutic use; ACE2; cytokine storm; Vitamin D; SARS-COV-2
• ISSN: 1381-3455; 1744-4160
• DOI: 10.1080/13813455.2020.1826530

In December 2019, a new infectious complication called CoronaVirus Infectious Disease-19, briefly COVID-19, caused by SARS-COV-2, is identified in Wuhan, China. It spread all over the world and became a pandemic. In many individuals who had suffered SARS-COV-2 infection, cytokine storm starts through cytokine overproduction and leads to Acute Respiratory Syndrome (ARS), organ failure, and death. According to the obtained evidence, Vitamin D (VitD) enhances the ACE2/Ang(1-7)/MasR pathway activity, and it also reduces cytokine storms and the ARS risk. Therefore, VitD intake may be beneficial for patients with SARS-COV-2 infection exposed to cytokine storm but do not suffer hypotension. In the present review, we have explained the effects of VitD on the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) function and angiotensin-converting enzyme2 (ACE2) expression. Furthermore, we have reviewed the biochemical and immunological effects of VitD on immune function in the underlying diseases and its role in the COVID-19 pandemic.