New research from Trinity College and University of Edinburgh has examined the association between vitamin D and COVID-19, and found that ambient ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation (which is key for vitamin D production in the skin) at an individual’s place of residence in the weeks before COVID-19 infection, was strongly protective against severe disease and death.

The paper has been published in the journal科学报告。

Previous studies have linked vitamin D deficiency with an increased susceptibility to viral and bacterial respiratory infections. Similarly, several observational studies found a strong correlation between vitamin D deficiency and COVID-19, but it could be that these effects are confounded and in fact a result of other factors, such as obesity, older age or chronic illness which are also linked with low vitamin D.

To overcome this, researchers were able to calculate “genetically-predicted” vitamin D level, that is not confounded by other demographic, health and lifestyle factors, by using the information from over one hundred genes that determine vitamin D status.

孟德尔随机化is a particular analytical approach that enabled researchers to investigate whether vitamin D and COVID-19 might be causally linked using genetic data. Few earlier studies attempted this but failed to show a causal link. This could be because UVB radiation sunshine which is the most important source of vitamin D for majority of people was ignored.

这项研究的独特之处是什么？

Researchers, for the first time, looked at both genetically-predicted and UVB-predicted vitamin D level. Almost half a million individuals in the UK took part in the study, and ambient UVB radiation before COVID-19 infection was individually assessed for each participant. When comparing the two variables, researchers found that correlation with measured vitamin D concentration in the circulation was three-fold stronger for UVB-predicted vitamin D level, compared to genetically-predicted.

有什么发现？

研究人员发现，在Covid-19感染之前，在个人居住地的环境UVB辐射与住院和死亡有着强烈的关系。这表明维生素D可能预防严重的Covid-199疾病和死亡。此外，虽然孟德尔随机分析的结果不是结论性的，但仍指出了潜在的因果效应。由于用于孟德尔随机化分析的遗传预测的维生素D水平之间的联系相对较弱，因此当前研究中的病例数量可能太小，无法令人信服地确定因果作用，但未来的较大的研究可能会提供答案。

Lina Zgaga教授（如图）,流行病学副教授,School of Medicine, Trinity College and senior researcher on the study说：

Our study adds further evidence that vitamin D might protect against severe COVID-19 infection. Conducting a properly designed COVID-19 randomised controlled trial of vitamin D supplementation is critical. Until then, given that vitamin D supplements are safe and cheap, it is definitely advisable to take supplements and protect against vitamin D deficiency, particularly with winter on the horizon.

爱丁堡大学癌症流行病学与全球健康教授Evropi Theodoratou教授研究高级研究员说：

Given the lack of highly effective therapies against COVID-19, we think it is important to remain open-minded to emerging results from rigorously conducted studies of vitamin D.

郑大学研究人员Xue Li博士说:

我们的研究支持补充维生素D的建议，不仅是在锁定过程中维持骨骼和肌肉健康，还支持与COVID-19的保护有关的潜在益处。

参考：Li X，Van Geffen J，Van Weele M等。英国生物库中维生素D和Covid-19风险的观察性和孟德尔随机化研究。科学报告。2021; 11（1）：18262。doi：10.1038/S41598-021-97679-5。

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