Clinical and Prognostic Significance of Baseline Serum Vitamin D Levels in Hospitalized Egyptian Covid-19 Patients.

Background and Aim: Vitamin D is a hormone with essential roles in both cellular metabolism and immunity. It controls calcium homeostasis and modulates innate and adaptive immune system responses. Many studies suggested an association between vitamin D deficiency and clinical outcomes of covid-19 infection, while others failed to document such a relation. The present study aimed to evaluate the clinical and prognostic significance of baseline vitamin D levels in hospitalized Egyptian covid-19 patients. Patients and Methods: The present retrospective study included 300 hospitalized covid-19 patients. Patients were submitted to standard clinical, laboratory, and radiological assessment. According to vitamin D levels, patients were classified to have normal levels (≥30), insufficient levels (20-29) or deficient levels (<20). Results: According to their vitamin D levels, patients were classified into those with normal vitamin D (n=135), others with vitamin D insufficiency (n=114), and a third group with vitamin D deficiency (n=51). Patients with normal vitamin D levels and vitamin D insufficiency are significantly younger [median (IQR): 49.0 (39.0-57.0) versus 51.0 (40.0-61.0) and 55.0 (43.0-62.0) years, respectively, p=0.012] and had less frequency of severe disease (24.4% versus 40.4% and 51.0%, respectively) when compared with those with vitamin D deficiency. Moreover, they had significantly lower levels of D dimer [median (IQR): 1.5 (0.9-2.5) versus 1.8 (0.9-3.1) and 2.0 (1.0-3.2)], CRP [median (IQR): 58.0 (30.0-120.0) versus 76.0 (42.5-160.0) and 105.0 (74.0-208.0), respectively, p<0.001], ferritin [median (IQR): 458.0 (240.0-759.0) versus 606.0 (433.8-897.8) and 820.0 (552.0-1087.0), respectively, p<0.001], and procalcitonin [median (IQR): 290.0 (152.0-394.0) versus 372.5 (227.0-530.5) and 443.0 (272.0-575.0), respectively, p<0.001]. Only lower vitamin D levels were significant predictors of mortality in multivariate analysis [OR (95% CI): 0.88 (0.84-0.92), p<0.001]. Conclusion: Low vitamin D levels are related to exaggerated inflammatory response, disease severity, and poor clinical outcome in hospitalized covid-19 patients.

Utility of Adipokines and IL-10 in Association with Anthropometry in Prediction of Insulin Resistance in Obese Children.

Aim: This is a case-controlled study, with two hundred children enrolled. They were divided into an obese group of 100 children who had BMI ≥ 95th percentile according to CDC criteria and a group of 100 children with normal weight. All enrolled children were subjected to detailed medical history and clinical examination, in addition to measuring fasting blood sugar, fasting serum insulin, HOMA-IR calculation, lipid profile analysis, total serum cholesterol, low- and high-density lipoproteins (LDL and HDL), and serum triglyceride (TG). Two adipokines (lipocalin-2 and adipsin) serum levels plus IL-10 serum level were assessed. Results: Higher Z score of weight, MI, and waist/height ratio and high serum cholesterol, LDL, TG, and low HDL were observed in obese children. Higher levels of serum lipocalin-2 and adipsin and lower IL-10 blood level were observed in the obese group in comparison with the normal weight children. Higher insulin resistance index was observed in the obese group, with positive correlation of HOMA-IR with the anthropometric measurements and lipocalin serum level, while negative correlation was observed between IL-10 and fasting insulin in obese children. Conclusion: Simple measurement of general and central adiposity markers and serum lipocalin-2 can predict insulin resistance in obese children while serum adipsin and IL-10 had no association with insulin resistance.

Apelin and chemerin as promising adipokines in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus.

BACKGROUND: Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is one of the most common chronic diseases in children that may be due to micro or macrovascular complications. Diabetic renal disease or nephropathy is a common complication of DM, clinically silent and the only detectable abnormality due to the presence of microalbuminuria. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This study was a case-control study. Participants were classified into two groups. The first group included 40 children with T1DM and the second group included 30 matched healthy controls. Serum apelin (APLN), chemerin, cholesterol, and triglycerides (TG) levels were measured for each case. Also, albumin/creatinine ratio was analyzed in random urine sample. RESULTS: Comparison between T1DM patients and controls revealed that serum apelin, chemerin, cholesterol, TG levels, and albuminuria were significantly increased in cases compared to their controls. Significant positive correlations were found between HbA1c% and albuminuria for APLN and chemerin in the diabetic group. Whereas significant negative correlations were found between apelin and glomerular filtration rate (GFR). CONCLUSION: Increased levels of serum apelin and chemerin in T1DM patients may be considered as promising adipokines for the development of diabetic complication.