Correlation of Vitamin D levels with markers of bone metabolism in COVID-19 patients

Abstract

Introduction: Low serum Vitamin D levels are common in orthopedic patients in India. Low serum Vitamin D levels are implicated in COVID-19 worsening the illness. With this background, we assessed serum Vitamin D levels in COVID-19 patients presenting to us and correlated them with other markers of bone metabolism and systemic immune response. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study was done on 107 COVID-19 patients. The sample was taken for serum calcium, serum Vitamin D, serum phosphate, bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (ALP), serum parathyroid hormone, creatine phosphokinase (CPK), CPK myocardial band (MB), serum protein, C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and hemoglobin in these patients. The levels were correlated with each other to assess their relations in COVID-19 patients. Results: One hundred out of 107 patients had low serum Vitamin D levels. In these patients, serum lactate dehydrogenase and serum ALP levels were high, and creatine kinase MB levels were low. The illness was found more in diabetic/hypertensive and rheumatoid arthritis patients. The values and findings correlate with increased disease activity and osteopenia with no obvious muscular injury. Conclusion: Managing Vitamin D deficiency (VDD) has been taken up as a major step in COVID-19 affection. The markers of bone metabolism and their correlation with serum Vitamin D were equivocal in COVID-19-affected and not affected Indian populations. The risk of infection has been more in diabetic, hypertensive, and rheumatoid arthritis patients, all of whom were also suffering from VDD.