![]() ![]() Data collectionĬlinical data, laboratory, and imaging (chest X-ray and computed tomography) findings on admission were recorded retrospectively. Ultimately, a total of 103 patients were enrolled in the study. Patients with a measured 25 OH vitamin D (25 OH vit D) level were included ( n = 175) while patients with comorbidities (diabetes, asthma, tuberculosis, chronic renal failure, etc.), which may affect the clinical course of COVID-19, and those under 1 year of age ( n = 72) were excluded from the study. In this retrospective cohort study, pediatric cases aged between 1 and 18 years, attending to the department of pediatrics of Haseki Training and Research Hospital between March and May 2020 and whose SARS-CoV-2 infection was confirmed by a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis using a nasopharyngeal swab were consecutively evaluated ( n = 356). In this study, the aim was to determine the potential association between the level of vitamin D (25 OH vitamin D), clinical course, and inflammatory markers (C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, d-dimer, and procalcitonin) in children and adolescents with COVID-19. A few adult studies have demonstrated an association between vitamin D deficiency and COVID-19 severity and mortality however, pediatric data are scarce. Based on the data, it has been suggested that vitamin D supplements can alleviate the clinical course of COVID-19 and be used as an effective treatment method. Vitamin D has been proven to increase the expression of genes associated with antioxidation, strengthen cellular immunity, and balance adaptive immunity. This has led researchers to focus on a variety of drugs currently available to find an effective treatment. Īlthough basic guidelines on infection control have been published and studies on vaccination are ongoing, time is needed for an effective vaccine to become available for most people. The infection is reported to be rarely seen in childhood and commonly affects ≥15 years old however, the number of pediatric COVID-19 cases has increased rapidly with the global spread of the infection.Īlthough the clinical course has been observed to be milder in children than in adults, the prevalence of serious disease has been reported as 3–10% and is especially high in children under 1 year old. The clinical severity of the infection varies from a simple cold to severe acute respiratory syndrome (ARDS) or even death. Prophylactic vitamin D supplementation may be considered, especially in the adolescent age group.Ĭoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) first appeared in Wuhan, China, and was announced as a pandemic in March 2020. In a logistic regression analysis, vitamin D deficiency, d-dimer, and fibrinogen levels on admission were independent predictors of severe clinical course.Ĭonclusion: This study revealed an association between vitamin D deficiency and clinical severity, in addition to inflammation markers in pediatric COVID-19 cases. The vitamin D–deficient group had a significantly higher age and fibrinogen levels while also having a lower lymphocyte count compared to the insufficient and normal groups. The 25 OH vitamin D levels were also significantly lower ( p < 0.001), and the ratio of vitamin D deficiency was 70.6% in the moderate-to-severe group. The moderate-to-severe clinical group had significantly higher inflammation markers (CRP, procalcitonin, fibrinogen, d-dimer) and a lower lymphocyte count compared to both the mild and asymptomatic groups. The cases were divided into groups according to their clinical severity (asymptomatic, mild, and moderate-to-severe) and vitamin D levels. The clinical and laboratory records of 103 pediatric cases with COVID-19, whose vitamin D levels had been measured, were retrospectively reviewed. In this study, the aim was to evaluate the relationship between vitamin D levels and clinical severity and inflammation markers in children and adolescents with COVID-19. Vitamin D has an immunomodulating property that regulates the inflammatory response.
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