Correlation between 25-hydroxyvitamin D/D3 Deficiency and COVID-19 Disease Severity in Adults from Northern Colorado
Baxter et al.,
Correlation between 25-hydroxyvitamin D/D3 Deficiency and COVID-19 Disease Severity in Adults from Northern..,
Nutrients, doi:10.3390/nu14245204, NCT04603677
Analysis of 131 COVID+ patients and 18 healthy controls, showing COVID-19 severity associated with lower vitamin D levels.
Baxter et al., 7 Dec 2022, USA, peer-reviewed, mean age 57.0, 14 authors, study period July 2020 - March 2021, trial
NCT04603677 (history).
Contact:
e.p.ryan@colostate.edu (corresponding author).
Abstract: nutrients
Article
Correlation between 25-hydroxyvitamin D/D3 Deficiency and
COVID-19 Disease Severity in Adults from Northern Colorado
Bridget A. Baxter 1 , Michaela G. Ryan 1 , Stephanie M. LaVergne 1 , Sophia Stromberg 1 , Kailey Berry 1 ,
Madison Tipton 1 , Nicole Natter 1 , Nikiah Nudell 2 , Kim McFann 2 , Julie Dunn 2 , Tracy L. Webb 3 ,
Michael Armstrong 4 , Nichole Reisdorph 4 and Elizabeth P. Ryan 1, *
1
2
3
4
*
Citation: Baxter, B.A.; Ryan, M.G.;
LaVergne, S.M.; Stromberg, S.; Berry,
K.; Tipton, M.; Natter, N.; Nudell, N.;
McFann, K.; Dunn, J.; et al. Correlation
between 25-hydroxyvitamin D/D3
Deficiency and COVID-19 Disease
Severity in Adults from Northern
Colorado. Nutrients 2022, 14, 5204.
https://doi.org/10.3390/
nu14245204
Academic Editor: Andrea Fabbri
Received: 30 August 2022
Accepted: 20 November 2022
Published: 7 December 2022
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Department of Environmental Radiological Health Science, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical
Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
Medical Center of the Rockies, University of Colorado Health, Loveland, CO 80538, USA
Department of Clinical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus,
Aurora, CO 80045, USA
Correspondence: e.p.ryan@colostate.edu; Tel.: +1-970-491-1936
Abstract: Vitamin D deficiency is common in the United States and leads to altered immune function,
including T cell and macrophage activity that may impact responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection. This
study investigated 131 adults with a history of a positive SARS-CoV-2 nasopharyngeal PCR and
18 adults with no COVID-19 diagnosis that were recruited from the community or hospital into the
Northern Colorado Coronavirus Biorepository (NoCo-COBIO). Participants consented to enrollment
for a period of 6 months and provided biospecimens at multiple visits for longitudinal analysis.
Plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were quantified by LC-MS/MS at the initial visit (n = 149) and
after 4 months (n = 89). Adults were classified as deficient (<30 nM or <12 ng/mL), insufficient
(<30–50 nM or 12–20 ng/mL), or optimal (50–75 nM or >20 ng/mL) for 25-hydroxyvitamin D status.
Fisher’s exact test demonstrated an association between disease severity, gender, and body mass index
(BMI) at baseline. Mixed model analyses with Tukey-Kramer were used for longitudinal analysis
according to BMI. Sixty-nine percent (n = 103) of the entire cohort had optimal levels of total 25(OH)D,
22% (n = 32) had insufficient levels, and 9% (n = 14) had deficent levels. Participants with severe
disease (n = 37) had significantly lower 25-hydroxyvitamin D (total 25(OH)D) when compared to
adults with mild disease (p = 0.006) or no COVID-19 diagnosis (p = 0.007). There was 44% of the cohort
with post-acute sequalae of COVID-19 (PASC) as defined by experiencing at least one of the following
symptoms after 60 days’ post-infection: fatigue, dyspnea, joint pain, chest pain, forgetfulness or
absent-mindedness, confusion, or difficulty breathing. While..
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