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Updated: Jul 1, 2026
A Data-Driven Approach to Quantifying Immune States in Sepsis
Published on: February 7, 2025
Associations between vitamin D levels, nutritional status, and inflammation in sepsis ‒ A cross-sectional study
Hong Zheng1, Zhi-Ying Zeng2, Song-Tao Liu3
1Department of Emergency Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guilin Medical University, Guilin, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region; Guangxi Key Laboratory of Diabetic Systems Medicine, Guilin Medical University, Guilin, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Regio.
Introduction:
sepsis is a life-threatening syndrome marked by systemic inflammation, nutritional imbalance, and high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency. However, the mechanistic interconnections between serum vitamin D levels, nutritional status, and inflammatory activity in sepsis remain poorly characterized.
Objectives:
to investigate the associations among these factors in septic patients and identify an optimal serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D cutoff value for clinical assessment of sepsis.
Methods:
a cross-sectional study enrolled 97 septic patients in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) (October 2023-October 2024) and 95 age/sex-matched healthy controls. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25-(OH)D] levels, nutritional indicators, inflammatory markers, and biochemical parameters were measured and compared between groups; correlation and reveiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were performed.
Results:
septic patients had significantly lower 25(OH)D levels, poorer nutritional status, and higher inflammatory markers than controls. The optimal 25(OH)D cutoff for predicting sepsis was 22.55 ng/ml. Serum 25(OH)D concentrations correlated positively with nutritional parameters and negatively with inflammatory indices in septic patients.
Conclusions:
serum vitamin D is a valid indicator for sepsis progression. The interrelated associations between vitamin D levels, nutritional status, and inflammation highlight vitamin D's role in modulating sepsis severity and prognosis, supporting its integration into sepsis clinical management and risk stratification.
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