Evaluation of vitamin D status, vitamin D receptor expression, and innate immune mediators in COVID-19
Background and objectivesThe Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic underscored the importance of identifying host factors that influence susceptibility to infection. Vitamin D signaling, mediated via its receptor (VDR), along with innate immune mediators such as antimicrobial peptides (e.g.,...
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| Format: | Article |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-08-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Endocrinology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fendo.2025.1600623/full |
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| author | Ferdos Missilmani Dima Maarabouni Elie Salem-Sokhn Spyridon N. Karras Hana M. A. Fakhoury Said El Shamieh |
| author_facet | Ferdos Missilmani Dima Maarabouni Elie Salem-Sokhn Spyridon N. Karras Hana M. A. Fakhoury Said El Shamieh |
| author_sort | Ferdos Missilmani |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background and objectivesThe Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic underscored the importance of identifying host factors that influence susceptibility to infection. Vitamin D signaling, mediated via its receptor (VDR), along with innate immune mediators such as antimicrobial peptides (e.g., DEFA1-3) and inflammatory chemokines (e.g., CCL20), plays a critical role in antiviral defense. This study aimed to determine how serum vitamin D status and gene expression of VDR, DEFA1-3, and CCL20 associate with COVID-19 risk in a Lebanese cohort.MethodsThis prospective observational study assessed serum vitamin D concentrations and nasopharyngeal gene expression in Lebanese participants tested for SARS-CoV-2 between January and March 2024. We enrolled 264 patients undergoing RT-qPCR (targeting ORF1, N, and E genes) and quantified serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D]. In a subset of 70 individuals stratified by COVID-19 status, we measured VDR, DEFA1-3, CCL20, and GAPDH expression by RT-qPCR. Multiple logistic regression and Pearson correlation analyses were performed.ResultsSerum vitamin D levels and CCL20 expression were not significantly associated with COVID-19 status. Elevated VDR expression in nasopharyngeal tissue correlated with lower COVID-19 risk (OR = 0.40, p = 0.05) and inversely with 25(OH)D levels (r = –0.61, p = 0.04). Higher DEFA1–3 expression reduced COVID-19 risk by 81.6% (OR = 0.184, p = 0.012). Among COVID-19 negatives, VDR correlated with CCL20 (r = 0.59, p < 0.01); among positives, VDR correlated with DEFA1-3 (r = 0.45, p < 0.05).ConclusionOur findings reveal a complex interplay between systemic vitamin D status, local VDR expression, and innate inflammatory mediators in COVID-19. They support a model in which both micronutrient levels and tissue-specific vitamin D signaling modulate host susceptibility and disease severity. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-7ea7603d89f74979b9b4a874b77b00c0 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1664-2392 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Endocrinology |
| spelling | doaj-art-7ea7603d89f74979b9b4a874b77b00c02025-08-20T03:44:11ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Endocrinology1664-23922025-08-011610.3389/fendo.2025.16006231600623Evaluation of vitamin D status, vitamin D receptor expression, and innate immune mediators in COVID-19Ferdos Missilmani0Dima Maarabouni1Elie Salem-Sokhn2Spyridon N. Karras3Hana M. A. Fakhoury4Said El Shamieh5Molecular Testing Laboratory, Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Beirut Arab University, Beirut, LebanonMolecular Testing Laboratory, Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Beirut Arab University, Beirut, LebanonMolecular Testing Laboratory, Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Beirut Arab University, Beirut, LebanonLaboratory of Biological Chemistry, Medical School, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki, GreeceCollege of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaMolecular Testing Laboratory, Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Beirut Arab University, Beirut, LebanonBackground and objectivesThe Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic underscored the importance of identifying host factors that influence susceptibility to infection. Vitamin D signaling, mediated via its receptor (VDR), along with innate immune mediators such as antimicrobial peptides (e.g., DEFA1-3) and inflammatory chemokines (e.g., CCL20), plays a critical role in antiviral defense. This study aimed to determine how serum vitamin D status and gene expression of VDR, DEFA1-3, and CCL20 associate with COVID-19 risk in a Lebanese cohort.MethodsThis prospective observational study assessed serum vitamin D concentrations and nasopharyngeal gene expression in Lebanese participants tested for SARS-CoV-2 between January and March 2024. We enrolled 264 patients undergoing RT-qPCR (targeting ORF1, N, and E genes) and quantified serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D]. In a subset of 70 individuals stratified by COVID-19 status, we measured VDR, DEFA1-3, CCL20, and GAPDH expression by RT-qPCR. Multiple logistic regression and Pearson correlation analyses were performed.ResultsSerum vitamin D levels and CCL20 expression were not significantly associated with COVID-19 status. Elevated VDR expression in nasopharyngeal tissue correlated with lower COVID-19 risk (OR = 0.40, p = 0.05) and inversely with 25(OH)D levels (r = –0.61, p = 0.04). Higher DEFA1–3 expression reduced COVID-19 risk by 81.6% (OR = 0.184, p = 0.012). Among COVID-19 negatives, VDR correlated with CCL20 (r = 0.59, p < 0.01); among positives, VDR correlated with DEFA1-3 (r = 0.45, p < 0.05).ConclusionOur findings reveal a complex interplay between systemic vitamin D status, local VDR expression, and innate inflammatory mediators in COVID-19. They support a model in which both micronutrient levels and tissue-specific vitamin D signaling modulate host susceptibility and disease severity.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fendo.2025.1600623/fullCOVID-19vitamin DVDRinnate immunityinflammatory biomarkers |
| spellingShingle | Ferdos Missilmani Dima Maarabouni Elie Salem-Sokhn Spyridon N. Karras Hana M. A. Fakhoury Said El Shamieh Evaluation of vitamin D status, vitamin D receptor expression, and innate immune mediators in COVID-19 Frontiers in Endocrinology COVID-19 vitamin D VDR innate immunity inflammatory biomarkers |
| title | Evaluation of vitamin D status, vitamin D receptor expression, and innate immune mediators in COVID-19 |
| title_full | Evaluation of vitamin D status, vitamin D receptor expression, and innate immune mediators in COVID-19 |
| title_fullStr | Evaluation of vitamin D status, vitamin D receptor expression, and innate immune mediators in COVID-19 |
| title_full_unstemmed | Evaluation of vitamin D status, vitamin D receptor expression, and innate immune mediators in COVID-19 |
| title_short | Evaluation of vitamin D status, vitamin D receptor expression, and innate immune mediators in COVID-19 |
| title_sort | evaluation of vitamin d status vitamin d receptor expression and innate immune mediators in covid 19 |
| topic | COVID-19 vitamin D VDR innate immunity inflammatory biomarkers |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fendo.2025.1600623/full |
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