Table 1.
Baseline demographic, clinical, and biochemical characteristics of the COVID-19 patients admitted to the ICU1.
| Vitamin D3 (n = 52) | Placebo (n = 54) | P value2 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, years | 64.5 (57–71) | 63.5 (54–81) | 0.92 |
| Age > 70 y. o | 14 (27) | 21 (39) | 0.19 |
| Sex, n (%) male | 22 (42) | 31 (57) | 0.12 |
| SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR positive, n (%) | 46 (88) | 45 (83) | 0.86 |
| Ground-glass opacity on computed tomography scan (> 50% area), n (%) | 38 (73) | 42 (78) | 0.57 |
| SOFA, score | 3 (1–4) | 3 (1–3) | 0.87 |
| APACHE II, score | 12 (7–20) | 12 (8–19) | 0.94 |
| Coexisting disease | |||
| Coronary artery disease, n (%) | 23 (44) | 17 (32) | 0.18 |
| Arterial Hypertension, n (%) | 34 (65) | 34 (63) | 0.79 |
| Diabetes mellitus, n (%) | 16 (38) | 14 (26) | 0.58 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, n (%) | 3 (7) | 3 (5.5) | 0.75 |
| Liver disease, n (%) | 1 (2) | 1 (2) | 1.00 |
| Chronic renal disease | 1 (2) | 2 (3.7) | 1.00 |
| Cerebrovascular disease, n (%) | 9 (17) | 9 (17) | 0.61 |
| Cancer, n (%) | 3 (5.8) | 4 (7.4) | 1.00 |
| Concomitant medication and respiratory support at admission | |||
| Anti-IL-6 receptor monoclonal antibodies, n (%) | 12 (23) | 8 (15) | 0.28 |
| Glucocorticosteroids, n (%) | 30 (58) | 26 (48) | 0.33 |
| Antibiotics, n (%) | 48 (92) | 49 (90) | 0.77 |
| Anticoagulant, n (%) | 50 (96) | 53 (98) | 0.54 |
| High-flow oxygen therapy, n (%) | 43 (83) | 46 (85) | 0.73 |
| Mechanical ventilation, n (%) | 21 (40) | 16 (30) | 0.25 |
| Biochemical parameters | |||
| 25(OH)D, ng/mL (N 30–80 ng/mL) | 9.6 (5.6–21) | 11 (8.6–15) | 0.57 |
| White blood cell count, 109/L (N 4.5–9 109/L) | 9 (7–12) | 8 (6.5–9.5) | 0.09 |
| Lymphocytes, 109/L (N 1.5–4.5 109/L) | 0.7 (0.54–0.98) | 0.9 (0.60–1.1) | 0.11 |
| NK cells (CD3−CD56+CD16+), % (N 9.9–22) | 1.3 (0.8–2) | 1.3 (0.89–2.6) | 0.25 |
| NKT cells (CD3+CD56+CD16+), % (N < 10) | 0.5 (0.3–1.3) | 0.9 (0.2–2.3) | 0.63 |
| NLR (N 0.78–3.53) | 10.4 (6.9–15.9) | 8.5 (5.1–13.7) | 0.07 |
| Neutrophils, 109/L (N 2–7.5 109/L) | 8.4 (5.5–11.3) | 6.8 (5.2–8.6) | 0.08 |
| Platelets, 109/L (N 150–380 109/L) | 215 (168–298) | 207 (168.3–292) | 0.61 |
| Creatinine, μM/L (N 53–97 μM/L) | 72 (60–108) | 80 (64–100) | 0.46 |
| Total bilirubin, μM/L (N 3.4–17.1 μM/L) | 11 (8–18) | 11 (9–15) | 0.88 |
| Total calcium level, mM/L (1.9–2.6 mM/L) | 2.1 (1.8–2.1) | 2.1 (1.9–2.2) | 0.89 |
| Ionized calcium level, mM/L (N 1.05–1.37 mM/L ) | 1.2 (1.10–1.35) | 1.2 (1.06–1.25) | 0.91 |
| Interleukin-6, pg/mL (N < 7 pg/mL) | 190 (97–620) | 77 (31–316) | 0.25 |
| D-dimer, μg/mL (N < 0.5 μg/mL) | 0.9 (0.5–1.8) | 0.8 (0.4–2) | 0.79 |
| Fibrinogen, g/L (N 2–4 g/L) | 4 (3.2–4.9) | 4 (3.4–6) | 0.15 |
| Procalcitonin, ng/mL (N < 0.05 ng/mL) | 0.54 (0.24–2) | 0.3 (0.13–0.8) | 0.04 |
| C-reactive protein, mg/L (N < 5 mg/L) | 194 (92–278) | 125 (85–194) | 0.04 |
1Numerical data are expressed as median (IQR); categorical data are shown as the number of cases (percentage).
2P values were calculated by Mann–Whitney U test, χ2 test, or Fisher’s exact test, as appropriate.
3N, reference range.
SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR positive positive reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction for the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2, SOFA Sequential Organ Failure Assessment, APACHE II Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II, NLR neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio, 25(OH)D serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D.