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Vitamin C Deficiency in Blood Samples of COVID-19 Patients
Tobias Sinnberg1,2, Christa Lichtensteiger3, Katharina Hill-Mündel4
1Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Tuebingen, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany.
Insights
COVID-19 patients showed significantly lower blood levels of vitamin C (ascorbate) compared to healthy individuals. Low ascorbate levels in COVID-19 patients correlated with increased disease severity and higher mortality risk.
Area of Science:
- Nutritional Science
- Infectious Diseases
- Clinical Medicine
Background:
- The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need to understand host factors influencing disease severity.
- While vitamin C's role in COVID-19 is recognized, the impact of other vitamins remains less clear.
- Investigating vitamin levels in COVID-19 patients is crucial for understanding disease outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare blood vitamin levels in COVID-19 patients with varying disease severity and uninfected controls.
- To determine the association between specific vitamin concentrations and COVID-19 outcomes, including mortality.
- To investigate the role of ascorbate, calcidiol, retinol, and α-tocopherol in COVID-19.
Main Methods:
- Serum concentrations of ascorbate, calcidiol, retinol, and α-tocopherol were measured.
- A cohort of 74 COVID-19 patients and 8 uninfected volunteers were analyzed.
- Statistical comparisons and survival analyses were performed, considering co-morbidity factors.
Main Results:
- COVID-19 patients exhibited significantly lower plasma ascorbate levels than controls (p < 0.001).
- Ascorbate levels were lower in fatal, critical, and severe COVID-19 cases compared to controls (p < 0.001).
- No significant trends were observed for calcidiol, retinol, or α-tocopherol levels (p ≥ 0.093).
Conclusions:
- COVID-19 is associated with depleted blood ascorbate levels, linked to poorer health outcomes.
- Plasma ascorbate levels below 11.4 µM were associated with prolonged hospitalization and increased mortality risk.
- Ascorbate status is a critical factor influencing the outcome of COVID-19 infection.
Abstract:
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is the most notable pandemic of the modern era. A relationship between ascorbate (vitamin C) and COVID-19 severity is well known, whereas the role of other vitamins is less understood. The present study compared the blood levels of four vitamins in a cohort of COVID-19 patients with different severities and uninfected individuals. Serum concentrations of ascorbate, calcidiol, retinol, and α-tocopherol were measured in a cohort of 74 COVID-19 patients and 8 uninfected volunteers. The blood levels were statistically compared and additional co-morbidity factors were considered. COVID-19 patients had significantly lower plasma ascorbate levels than the controls (p-value < 0.001), and further stratification revealed that the controls had higher levels than fatal, critical, and severe COVID-19 cases (p-values < 0.001). However, no such trend was observed for calcidiol, retinol, or α-tocopherol (p-value ≥ 0.093). Survival analysis showed that plasma ascorbate below 11.4 µM was associated with a lengthy hospitalization and a high risk of death. The results indicated that COVID-19 cases had depleted blood ascorbate associated with poor medical conditions, confirming the role of this vitamin in the outcome of COVID-19 infection.
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