Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36273032›Full record

ArticleScientific reports2022

Vitamin D enhances type I IFN signaling in COVID-19 patients.

Shirin Hafezi, Fatemeh Saheb Sharif-Askari, Narjes Saheb Sharif-Askari, Hawra Ali Hussain Alsayed, Habiba Alsafar, Fatme Al Anouti, Qutayba Hamid, Rabih Halwani

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Scientific reports, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
13citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
1.4field-weighted citation impact, top 17% 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

13 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 14 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Review
  3. Review
  4. Article
  5. Influence of Sex and 1,25α Dihydroxyvitamin DPathogens (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025
    Article
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  7. Observational
  8. Review
  9. Article
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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

8 authors at 5 institutions in 2 countries.

Shirin Hafezi *Research Institute of Medical & Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
Fatemeh Saheb Sharif-Askari *Research Institute of Medical & Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
Narjes Saheb Sharif-AskariResearch Institute of Medical & Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
Hawra Ali Hussain AlsayedPharmacy Department, Dubai Health Authority, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Habiba AlsafarDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Fatme Al AnoutiDepartment of Health Sciences, Zayed University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Qutayba HamidResearch Institute of Medical & Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
Rabih HalwaniResearch Institute of Medical & Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. rhalwani@sharjah.ac.ae.
University of Sharjah · AEDubai Health Authority · AEKhalifa University of Science and Technology · AEMcGill University Health Centre · CAZayed University · AE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The ability of Vitamin D (VitD) to modulate antiviral responses through induction of antimicrobial peptide is well established. However, the effect of VitD on host responses to SARS-CoV-2 is not well investigated. We here report the ability of VitD to enhance host IFN-alpha/beta (a/β) signaling both in vitro and among severe COVID-19 patients treated with VitD. Blood and saliva specimens were obtained from severe COVID-19 patients treated (43 patients), or not (37 patients), with vitD, during their stay in intensive care unit. Patients were followed up to 29 days following admission, and patient survival outcomes were collected. Higher activity levels of RIG-1/MDA-5 and JAK-STAT signaling pathways were observed with significantly higher gene and protein levels of antiviral interferon stimulating genes (ISGs) such as MX-1 and ISG-15; both in vitro, following treatment of PBMCs with vitD, and in whole blood and saliva specimens of VitD treated patients. Moreover, VitD treated patients had lower risk of all-cause mortality by day 29 compared to untreated patients (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.37, 95% confidence interval of 0.14-0.94; P = 0.038). The herein uncovered regulatory role of VitD on type I IFNs suggests the importance of insuring a normal level of VitD for the prevention and probably treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Additional mechanistic studies, however, are needed to fully elucidate the antiviral effects of VitD particularly in the setting of COVID-19 infection.

Indexed as

COVID-19 Drug TreatmentAntiviral AgentsHumansInterferonsSARS-CoV-2Vitamin DVitaminsAntiviral AgentsInterferonsVitamin DVitamins

Identifiers

PMID36273032
PMCPMC9588043
OpenAlexW4307138427

What OpenQuestion holds

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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.