Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 5, 2025
A Method of Trigonometric Modelling of Seasonal Variation Demonstrated with Multiple Sclerosis Relapse Data
Published on: December 9, 2015
Relationship between Lymphocyte Subpopulations and Vitamin D Levels in COVID-19 Pneumonia Patients
Carla Caffarelli1, Paolo Cameli2, Miriana D'Alessandro2
1Department of Internal Medicine University of Siena, Italy.
Insights
Vitamin D deficiency is common in COVID-19 pneumonia patients and linked to lower lymphocyte counts. This suggests vitamin D impacts immune responses in severe COVID-19.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Nutritional Science
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Severe COVID-19 patients often exhibit low vitamin D levels.
- Vitamin D plays a role in infection prevention and immune regulation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the relationship between vitamin D status and lymphocyte populations in hospitalized COVID-19 pneumonia patients.
Main Methods:
- Evaluated vitamin D levels and lymphocyte subpopulations in 33 COVID-19 pneumonia patients and 16 healthy controls.
- Matched controls for age, sex, and seasonality.
Main Results:
- 70.8% of COVID-19 pneumonia patients had vitamin D deficiency.
- Vitamin D levels correlated positively with lymphocytes (CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD19+) and negatively with neutrophils.
- Vitamin D deficiency associated with reduced lymphocyte subsets.
Conclusions:
- High prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in COVID-19 pneumonia confirmed.
- Vitamin D deficiency is linked to decreased lymphocyte subsets and altered T-cell activation.
- Findings may elucidate vitamin D's role in COVID-19 course and outcomes.
Background:
Some studies have shown that patients who are hospitalized with severe COVID-19 also have low levels of vitamin D. It is known that vitamin D can reduce the risk of infections and down regulate the immune/inflammatory reaction.
Objectives:
To investigate the association between vitamin D status and lymphocyte subpopulations in hospitalized pneumonia COVID-19 patients.
Methods:
In 33 positive severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) patients with radiologic evidence of interstitial pneumonia and in 16 healthy control subjects matched for age, sex, and seasonality lymphocyte subpopulations and vitamin D levels were evaluated.
Results:
The majority of patients with COVID-19 pneumonia (70.8%) presented vitamin D deficiency. The percentages of neutrophils presented a negative correlation (r = -0.74; P < 0.001), whereas the percentages of lymphocytes presented a positive correlation (r = 0.43; P < 0.01) with 25(OH)D. Moreover, vitamin D levels were positively correlated with CD3+ (r = 0.37, P < 0.05), CD4+ (r = 0.41, P < 0.05), CD8+ (r = 0.32, P < 0.07), and CD19+ (r = 0.38, P < 0.05).
Conclusions:
This preliminary study confirms the high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia and that vitamin D deficiency is associated with a reduction of lymphocyte subsets and altered T-lymphocyte activation. This finding may contribute to clarify the mechanisms by which vitamin D influences the course and outcome of COVID-19 pneumonia.
More Related Videos
06:03Author Spotlight: Advancing Immune Monitoring in Critical Care Patients Using Whole Blood Assays
Published on: September 20, 2024
07:39Isolation of CD4+ T-cells and Analysis of Circulating T-follicular Helper cTfh Cell Subsets from Peripheral Blood Using 6-color Flow Cytometry
Published on: January 7, 2019
Related Concept Videos
01:22Connective Tissue Cell Types
Fat cells (adipocytes), smooth muscle cells (myoblasts), and bone cells (osteoblasts) are some connective tissue cell types. Some immune system cells...
01:23Role of Skin in Vitamin D Synthesis
The solar UV B rays (290-315 nm) are absorbed by the skin, and 7-dehydrocholesterol (provitamin D3) photolyzes it to previtamin D3, which undergoes a rapid transformation to vitamin...
01:29Pulmonary Tuberculosis I
Causative Organism
The primary infectious agent causing tuberculosis is Mycobacterium tuberculosis, a slow-growing, acid-fast, aerobic rod that exhibits sensitivity to heat and ultraviolet light. Instances of Mycobacterium bovis and Mycobacterium avium contributing to the development of TB infection are rare.
Mode of...
01:26Factors Affecting the Risk of Infection
The integrity and count of the white blood cells help the body resist pathogens and fight infection. When impaired, it reduces the body's resistance to pathogens. The acidic pH levels of the gastrointestinal, genitourinary tracts, and skin...
01:25Immunodeficiency Diseases
There are three main causes of immunodeficiency...
01:18Lymphoid Cells and Tissues
Lymphoid cells consist of various types of immune system cells. These include B and T lymphocytes, which are responsible for producing antibodies and killing infected cells, respectively. Dendritic cells act as messengers between the innate and adaptive...