Therapeutic and prognostic role of vitamin D for COVID-19 infection: A systematic review and meta-analysis of 43 observational studies

• Published in: The Journal of steroid biochemistry and molecular biology Vol. 211; p. 105883
• Main Authors: Petrelli, Fausto, Luciani, Andrea, Perego, Gianluca, Dognini, Giuseppina, Colombelli, Paolo Luigi, Ghidini, Antonio
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.07.2021; Elsevier BV
• Subjects: Coronaviruses; COVID-19; COVID-19 - blood; COVID-19 - epidemiology; COVID-19 - mortality; COVID-19 - prevention & control; Dietary Supplements; Humans; Immune system; Immunity, Innate - drug effects; Incidence; Infection; Infections; Inflammation; Meta-analysis; Mortality; Observational studies; Observational Studies as Topic; Odds Ratio; Pandemics; Patients; Prognosis; Respiratory tract diseases; Risk; SARS-CoV-2 - pathogenicity; Severity of Illness Index; Short Communication; Supplements; Survival Analysis; Vitamin D; Vitamin D - blood; Vitamin D - therapeutic use; Vitamin D Deficiency - blood; Vitamin D Deficiency - epidemiology; Vitamin D Deficiency - mortality; Vitamin D Deficiency - prevention & control; Vitamin D3; Vitamin deficiency; COVID-19; Infection; Vitamin D3; Mortality; Meta-analysis
• ISSN: 0960-0760; 1879-1220; 1879-1220
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2021.105883

•Vitamin D modulates the systemic inflammatory response through interaction with immune system.•We systematically reviewed studies about vitamin D3 and risk and mortality for COVID-19 infection.•Reduced vitamin D values resulted in a higher infection risk, mortality and severity COVID-19 infection. Vitamin D modulates the systemic inflammatory response through interaction with immune system. As such, it has a possible protective role against the risk of respiratory tract infections and other diseases. It may be useful in particular, during COVID-19 pandemic. PubMed, the Cochrane Library, and EMBASE were searched from inception until January 31, 2021, for observational or clinical studies reporting the prognosis (and therapeutic effect) of COVID-19 infection in patients with deficient vitamin D levels. The infection rate, severity, and death from COVID-19 infection were pooled to provide an odds ratio with a 95 % confidence interval (OR 95 % CI). An OR > 1 was associated with the worst outcome in deficient compared with nondeficient patients. We assessed the association between vitamin D and risk, severity, and mortality for COVID-19 infection, through a review of 43 observational studies. Among subjects with deficient vitamin D values, risk of COVID-19 infection was higher compared to those with replete values (OR = 1.26; 95 % CI, 1.19–1.34; P < .01). Vitamin D deficiency was also associated with worse severity and higher mortality than in nondeficient patients (OR = 2.6; 95 % CI, 1.84–3.67; P < .01 and OR = 1.22; 95 % CI, 1.04–1.43; P < .01, respectively). Reduced vitamin D values resulted in a higher infection risk, mortality and severity COVID-19 infection. Supplementation may be considered as preventive and therapeutic measure.