Vitamin D may protect against multiple organ damage caused by COVID-19

The novel coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak quickly spread across many countries and has become a worldwide threat to health, trade and travel. In terms of clinical manifestations, although it starts as an acute respiratory disorder, it could eventually lead to death by causing damage to many organs such as: lung, liver, kidney and heart. It has been shown that COVID-19 pathology is mediated by an excessive inflammation, oxidation and an aggravated immune response. Vitamin D is a an immunomodulator hormone and has receptors in many tissues and organs. In many studies, vitamin D was shown to have antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. In addition, since COVID-19 infection causes a cytokine storm, vitamin D can have a protective effect on many tissues and organs by reducing the production of proinflammatory cytokines. Vitamin D has a high safety profile, and thus could be beneficial against multiple organ damage in COVID-19 patients. This paper aims to highlight the potential benefits of vitamin D against multiple organ damage caused by COVID-19 (Fig. 1, Ref. 109). Keywords: COVID-19, cytokine, inflammation, vitamin D.