ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT In recent years the immunomodulatory actions of vitamin D, a steroid hormone, have been extensively studied. In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the question arose as to 25(OH)D status would be related to susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection, since several studies pointed out a higher prevalence and severity of the disease in populations with low levels of 25(OH)D. Thus, we investigated the 25(OH)D levels in adults "Detected" positive for SARS CoV-2 by RT-PCR (reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction) test, and in negative controls, "not Detected", using the Fleury Group's examination database, in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Of a total of 14.692 people with recent assessments of 25(OH)D and RT-PCR tests for COVID-19, 2.345 were positive and 11.585 were negative for the infection. The groups did not differ in the percentage of men and women, or in the age distribution. There were no differences in the distribution of 25(OH)D between the two groups (p = 0.08); mean 25(OH)D of 28.8 ± 21.4 ng/mL and 29.6 ± 18.1 ng/mL, respectively. In the specific population studied, clinical, environmental, socioeconomic and cultural factors should have greater relevance than 25(OH)D in determining the susceptibility to COVID-19.
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Adult , Vitamin D Deficiency/epidemiology , COVID-19 , Vitamin D , Brazil/epidemiology , Pandemics , SARS-CoV-2Subject(s)
Humans , Immunoassay/methods , Insulin/analogs & derivatives , Cross Reactions , Insulin/chemistryABSTRACT
A dosagem sérica dos esteróides hormonais ainda se baseia no emprego de técnicas radioimunológicas, sendo que as metodologias clássicas empregam extraçäo e, se necessário, cromatografia preparativa. A necessidade de ensaios mais rápidos, simples e susceptíveis à automaçäo forçou o desenvolvimento de ensaios diretos de hormônios esteróides no soro, principalmente para os de maior interesse clínico como o estradiol, a testoterona e a progesterona. Neste trabalho descrevemos o encontro de resultados falsamente elevados com o emprego de ensaios diretos e automatizados para as medidas séricas de estradiol e de progesterona. a pré-extraçäo das amostras com solvente orgânico faz com que o fenômeno desapareça. Säo discutidas as possíveis razöes para este fenômeno e como conclusäo salientamos a necessidade de nova dosagem, após extraçäo, de amostras que apresentarem valores surpreendentemente elevados para a condiçäo clínica da paciente