Update on vitamin D role in severe infections and sepsis.

Abstract

Severe infections frequently require admission to the intensive care unit and cause life-threatening complications in critically ill patients. In this setting, severe infections are acknowledged as prerequisites for the development of sepsis, whose pathophysiology implies a dysregulated host response to pathogens, leading to disability and mortality worldwide.Vitamin D is a secosteroid hormone that plays a pivotal role to maintain immune system homeostasis, which is of paramount importance to resolve infection and modulate the burden of sepsis. Specifically, vitamin D deficiency has been widely reported in critically ill patients and represents a risk factor for the development of severe infections, sepsis and worse clinical outcomes. Several studies have demonstrated the feasibility, safety and effectiveness of vitamin D supplementation strategies to improve vitamin D body content, but conflictual results support its benefit in general populations of critically ill patients. In contrast, small randomised clinical trials reported that vitamin D supplementation may improve host-defence to pathogen invasion via the production of cathelicidin and specific cytokines. Nonetheless, no large scale investigations have been designed to specifically assess the impact of vitamin D supplementation on the outcome of critically ill septic patients admitted to the intensive care unit.

• Authors: Salvatore Lucio Cutuli, Elena Sancho Ferrando, Fabiola Cammarota, Emanuele Franchini, Alessandro Caroli, Gianmarco Lombardi, Eloisa Sofia Tanzarella, Domenico Luca Grieco, Massimo Antonelli, Gennaro De Pascale
• Journal: Journal of anesthesia, analgesia and critical care (J Anesth Analg Crit Care) Vol. 4 Issue 1 Pg. 4 (Jan 23 2024) ISSN: 2731-3786 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 38263252 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Review)
• Copyright: © 2024. The Author(s).