Children with COVID 4X more likely to have poor Vitamin D Receptors (Note: COVID deactivates VDR)

Vitamin D deficiency and vitamin D receptor FokI polymorphism as risk factors for COVID-19

Pediatr Res. 2023 Apr;93(5):1383-1390. doi: 10.1038/s41390-022-02275-6

Nancy M S Zeidan 1, Hanan M Abd El Lateef 2, Dalia M Selim 2, Suzan A Razek 2, Ghada A B Abd-Elrehim 3, Mohamed Nashat 4, Noha ElGyar 5, Nevin M Waked 6, Attia A Soliman 7, Ahmed A Elhewala 7, Mohamed M M Shehab 7, Ahmed A A Ibraheem 7, Hassan Shehata 7, Yousif M Yousif 7, Nagwa E Akeel 7, Mustafa I A Hashem 7, Amani A Ahmed 7, Ahmed A Emam 8, Mohamed M Abdelmohsen 9, Mohamed F Ahmed 9, Ahmed S E Saleh 10, Heba H Eltrawy 11, Gehan H Shahin 12, Rehab M Nabil 13, Thoraya A Hosny 13, Mohamed R Abdelhamed 14, Mona R Afify 15, Mohanned T Alharbi 15, Mohammed K Nagshabandi 15, Muyassar K Tarabulsi 15, Sherif F Osman 16, Amal S M Abd-Elrazek 17, Manal M Rashad 18, Sonya A A El-Gaaly 19, Said A B Gad 20, Mohamed Y Mohamed 21, Khalil Abdelkhalek 1, Aly A Yousef 22

Background: Given the sparse data on vitamin D status in pediatric COVID-19, we investigated whether vitamin D deficiency could be a risk factor for susceptibility to COVID-19 in Egyptian children and adolescents. We also investigated whether vitamin D receptor (VDR) FokI polymorphism could be a genetic marker for COVID-19 susceptibility.

Methods: One hundred and eighty patients diagnosed to have COVID-19 and 200 matched control children and adolescents were recruited. Patients were laboratory confirmed as SARS-CoV-2 positive by real-time RT-PCR. All participants were genotyped for VDR Fok1 polymorphism by RT-PCR. Vitamin D status was defined as sufficient for serum 25(OH) D at least 30 ng/mL, insufficient at 21-29 ng/mL, deficient at <20 ng/mL.

Results: Ninety-four patients (52%) had low vitamin D levels with 74 (41%) being deficient and 20 (11%) had vitamin D insufficiency.

Vitamin D deficiency was associated with 2.6-fold increased risk for COVID-19 (OR = 2.6; [95% CI 1.96-4.9]; P = 0.002.

The FokI FF genotype was significantly more represented in patients compared to control group (OR = 4.05; [95% CI: 1.95-8.55]; P < 0.001).

Conclusions: Vitamin D deficiency and VDR Fok I polymorphism may constitute independent risk factors for susceptibility to COVID-19 in Egyptian children and adolescents.

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Diseases associated with a poor Vitamin D Receptor

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