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Normal T and B Cell Responses Against SARS-CoV-2 in a Family With a Non-Functional Vitamin D Receptor: A Case Report

Martin Kongsbak-Wismann1, Fatima A H Al-Jaberi1, Jonas Damgård Schmidt2

  • 1The LEO Foundation Skin Immunology Research Center, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Frontiers in Immunology
|October 18, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Vitamin D supplementation may not be essential for fighting COVID-19. A study on a family with a non-functional vitamin D receptor found they mounted an effective immune response against SARS-CoV-2, questioning vitamin D's role in COVID-19 immunity.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Endocrinology
  • Virology

Background:

  • The COVID-19 pandemic necessitates strategies to limit SARS-CoV-2 spread and disease severity.
  • Observational studies suggest a link between low vitamin D levels and increased COVID-19 susceptibility and severity.
  • Vitamin D supplementation has been proposed as a public health measure against COVID-19.

Observation:

  • This study examined COVID-19 progression and immune responses in a family with a non-functional vitamin D receptor.
  • The family members demonstrated an efficient adaptive immune response against SARS-CoV-2 despite their genetic condition.

Findings:

  • Vitamin D signaling was dispensable for generating an effective adaptive immune response to SARS-CoV-2 in the studied family.
  • The findings challenge the presumed central role of vitamin D in adaptive immunity against SARS-CoV-2.

Implications:

  • These results suggest that vitamin D may not be critical for adaptive immunity against SARS-CoV-2.
  • Further research is needed to clarify the role of vitamin D in COVID-19, as these findings may not generalize to the entire population.
Keywords:
COVID-19HVDRRSARS-CoV-2adaptive immunityvitamin D

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