ArticleMedical hypotheses2020
Vitamin D: A simpler alternative to tocilizumab for trial in COVID-19?
Article in Medical hypotheses, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT04394390 (Vitamin D Levels in SARS-CoV-2), which is not on this map. Cited by 34 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Vitamin D Levels in SARS-CoV-2: Do Current Adequacy Thresholds Reflect Clinical Risk? Insights From a Large Turkish Cohort
Who cites it
34 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 55 citations in OpenAlex.
- Pooled it
- High-dose vitamin D versus placebo to prevent complications in COVID-19 patients: Multicentre randomized controlled clinical trial.PloS one · 2022Trial
- Beneficial effects of novel aureobasidium pullulans strains produced beta-1,3-1,6 glucans on interleukin-6 and D-dimer levels in COVID-19 patients; results of a randomized multiple-arm pilot clinical study.Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie · 2022Trial
- Vitamins impacting mental/physical well-being during viral pandemics: a mechanistic review based on COVID-19: a comprehensive review.Inflammopharmacology · 2026Review
- Association of Vitamin D Supplementation with Glutathione Peroxidase (GPx) Activity, Interleukine-6 (IL-6) Levels, and Anxiety and Depression Scores in Patients with Post-COVID-19 Condition.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025Article
- Vitamin D and vitamin D binding protein levels in COVID-19 intensive care unit patients: A prospective multicenter study.Journal of medical biochemistry · 2024Article
- Proper Dietary and Supplementation Patterns as a COVID-19 Protective Factor (Cross-Sectional Study-Silesia, Poland).Life (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Article
- Vitamin D and morbidity in children with Multisystem inflammatory syndrome related to Covid-19.Progress in pediatric cardiology · 2022Article
- Article
- Pre-Pandemic Dietary Assessment of Elderly Persons Residing in Nursing Homes-Silesia (Poland).Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Article
- Vitamin D: The Missing Nutrient Behind the Two Deadly Pandemics, COVID-19 and Cardiovascular Diseases.Cureus · 2022Review
- An Exploratory Review of Potential Adjunct Therapies for the Treatment of Coronavirus Infections.Journal of chiropractic medicine · 2021Review
- Keeping a Balance During the Pandemic: a Narrative Review on the Important Role of Micronutrients in Preventing Infection and Reducing Complications of COVID-19.Current nutrition reports · 2021Review
- Low Circulating Vitamin D in Intensive Care Unit-Admitted COVID-19 Patients as a Predictor of Negative Outcomes.The Journal of nutrition · 2021Observational
- Article
- COVID-19 and the Endocrine System: A Comprehensive Review on the Theme.Journal of clinical medicine · 2021Review
- Estimation of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) reproduction number and case fatality rate: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Health science reports · 2021Article
- COVID-19 and IL-6: Why vitamin D (probably) helps but tocilizumab might not.European journal of pharmacology · 2021Review
- A genetic insight into vitamin D binding protein and COVID-19.Medical hypotheses · 2021Article
- Vitamin D and COVID-19: It is time to act.International journal of clinical practice · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
1 author at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
There is anecdotal evidence that tocilizumab, an immunosuppressant drug, may be a potential therapeutic option for patients with severe manifestations of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Like tocilizumab, Vitamin D appears to modulate the activity of an interleukin (IL-6), which may explain the seasonal variation in prevalence of influenza. While most cases of COVID-19 have, thus far, occurred in the Northern Hemisphere winter, limiting the ability to assess seasonal variation, there remains substantial variation in the severity of this condition that has yet to be explained. A retrospective comparison of Vitamin D levels in previously obtained blood samples between survivors and confirmed fatalities could establish a rationale for implementation of widespread Vitamin D supplementation. This would be far cheaper and simpler than tocilizumab as a therapeutic option to trial.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.