Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33511224›Full record

ReviewOpen forum infectious diseases2021

Vitamin D Deficiency or Supplementation and the Risk of Human Herpesvirus Infections or Reactivation: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Liang-Yu Lin, Ketaki Bhate, Harriet Forbes, Liam Smeeth, Charlotte Warren-Gash, Sinéad M Langan

Open access · goldAbstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Open forum infectious diseases, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
0.3field-weighted citation impact, top 40% of its field
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 7 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Immune Modulatory Effects of Vitamin D on Herpesvirus Infections.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025
    Review
  5. Article
  6. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Liang-Yu LinFaculty of Epidemiology & Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-4720-6738
Ketaki BhateFaculty of Epidemiology & Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
Harriet ForbesFaculty of Epidemiology & Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
Liam SmeethFaculty of Epidemiology & Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
Charlotte Warren-GashFaculty of Epidemiology & Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
Sinéad M LanganFaculty of Epidemiology & Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine · GB

Funding

Department of Health DRF-2018-11-ST2-066Department of Health NIHR/CS/010/014Medical Research Council MR/S003940/1Wellcome Trust 201440/Z/16/Z
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundVitamin D may protect against respiratory virus infections, but any association with herpesviruses is unclear.

methodsWe undertook a systematic review of vitamin D deficiency or supplementation and the risk of 8 human herpesviruses. Six databases and 4 gray literature databases were searched for relevant cohort studies, case-control studies, and clinical trials.

resultsTen studies were included, all conducted among immunosuppressed patients. There was no evidence that vitamin D deficiency is associated with cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease (pooled risk ratio, 1.06; 95% CI, 0.66-1.7), herpes zoster after transplantation (1 study), or HHV-8 among HIV patients (1 study). Vitamin D supplementation may decrease herpes zoster among hemodialysis patients (1 study) or CMV disease after renal transplantation (1 study), but supplementation was not associated with reduced EBV viral load among multiple sclerosis patients (1 study).

conclusionsAny association between vitamin D and herpesviruses remains inconclusive. Further studies in the general population are needed.

Indexed as

Barr viruscytomegalovirusEpsteinherpesviridaeherpes zostersystematic reviewvitamin D deficiencyvitamin D supplementation

Identifiers

PMID33511224
PMCPMC7817081
OpenAlexW3115233926

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.