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Objectives@#This study aimed to compare the severity of COVID-19, inflammatory parameters and clinical outcomes among patients with normal and subnormal levels of Vitamin D.@*Methodology@# This is a retrospective cohort study of 135 patients admitted in a tertiary hospital for COVID-19. Patients were grouped according to their Vitamin D level. Primary outcome measure was the composite of all-cause mortality and morbidity. Other outcome measures determined were the comparison among the groups on the severity of COVID-19 infection, changes in inflammatory parameters, length of hospital stay and duration of respiratory support.@*Results@#There was a significant trend of higher ICU admission, mortality (p-value= 0.006) and poor clinical outcome (p-value=0.009) among the Vitamin D deficient group. No significant difference was found for most of the inflammatory parameters, duration of hospital stay and respiratory support. Overall, patients with deficient, but not insufficient Vitamin D level had 6 times higher odds of composite poor outcome than those with normal Vitamin D (crude OR=5.18, p-value= 0.003; adjusted OR =6.3, p-value=0.043).@*Conclusion@#The inverse relationship between Vitamin D level and poor composite outcome observed in our study suggests that low Vitamin D may be a risk factor for poor prognosis among patients admitted for COVID-19.
Subject(s)
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 , Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver DiseaseABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the influence of vitamin D deficiency on nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Methods The patients with NASH who were hospitalized in Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Hospital of Changsha, from January 2020 to October 2021 were enrolled, and according to the serum level of 1, 25(OH) 2 D 3 , they were divided into group A with 1, 25(OH) 2 D 3 deficiency ( 30 ng/mL). The three groups were compared in terms of the serum levels of 1, 25(OH) 2 D 3 , alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), total bilirubin (TBil), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), interleukin-18 (IL-18), and interleukin-37 (IL-37) and liver pathological grade, and fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) index was calculated. A one-way analysis of variance was used for comparison of continuous data between multiple groups, and the least significant difference t -test was used for further comparison between two groups; the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups. A Pearson correlation analysis was also performed. Results A total of 120 NASH patients were enrolled, with 40 patients in each group. Compared with group A, groups B and C had significant increases in the levels of 1, 25(OH) 2 D 3 and IL-37 and significant reductions in FIB-4 index and the levels of ALT, AST, TBil, TC, TG, and IL-18 (all P < 0.05). Compared with group B, group C had significant increases in the levels of 1, 25(OH) 2 D 3 and IL-37 and significant reductions in FIB-4 index and the levels of ALT, AST, TC, TG, and IL-18 (all P < 0.05). The correlation analysis showed that 1, 25(OH) 2 D 3 was negatively correlated with ALT ( r =-0.84, P < 0.001), AST ( r =-0.77, P < 0.001), TBil ( r =-0.32, P < 0.001), TC ( r =-0.45, P < 0.001), TG ( r =-0.42, P < 0.001), IL-18 ( r =-0.40, P < 0.001), and FIB-4 index ( r =-0.62, P < 0.001), and it was positively correlated with IL-37 ( r =0.59, P < 0.001). Compared with group A, groups B and C had significant reductions in the proportion of patients with severe steatosis ( χ 2 =51.46, P < 0.001), bridging fibrosis and early liver cirrhosis ( χ 2 =36.59, P < 0.001), or bridging necrosis and large-scale necrosis ( χ 2 =37.28, P < 0.001). Light microscopy showed that group A had extensive ballooning degeneration of hepatocytes, a large number of lipid droplets (mainly macrovesicular lipid droplets), disordered arrangement of the liver plate, lymphocyte infiltration, and focal bridging fibrosis; group B mainly had spotted focal necrosis, periportal fibrosis, lipid droplets with various sizes, a small amount of neutrophil infiltration, and ballooning degeneration of some hepatocytes; group C had ballooning degeneration of a small number of hepatocytes, focal perisinusoidal fibrosis, a small number of lesions with spotted focal necrosis, and a small number of lipid droplets in the cytoplasm of hepatocytes. Conclusion The degree of liver injury and fibrosis increases with the reduction in vitamin D level, and vitamin D measurement helps to evaluate the progression of NASH.
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Objective To explore the value of FIB-4 and APRI index on evaluating the severity of liver fibrosis among patients with chronic hepatitis B(CHB).Methods A total of 218 CHB were enrolled in the study.Based on the staging of liver fibrosis,the patients were divided into 2 groups as S0-S2 group(n=120) and S3-S4 group(n=98).Differences in clinical data,laboratory indexes,FIB-4 and APRI index were compared between two groups.The correlation between FIB-4 index,APRI index and liver fibrosis were analyzed by Spearman correlation test.Receiver operator curve(ROC) test was used to determine the evaluating value of FIB-4 index and APRI index for the severity of liver fibrosis.Results To evaluate the staging≥S2 of liver fibrosis,the value of FIB-4 index was better than APRI index(Z=1.998,P=0.046).And to evaluate the staging≥S3 and S4 of liver fibrosis,the value of FIB-4 index for evaluating the staging≥S3(Z=1.177,P=0.239) or S4(Z=0.267,P=0.789) was the same as APRI index.Conclusion FIB-4 index and APRI index are both effective on evaluating the severity of liver fibrosis among patients with CHB,but the value of FIB-4 index is better than APRI index for evaluating early liver fibrosis.
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Objective To assess the prognostic value of APRI score and FIB-4 index for patients with chronic liver failure.Methods Clinical data of 426 patients with chronic liver failure admitted in the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University from March 2005 to September 2014 were retrospectively analyzed.The MELD score,APRI score and FIB-4 index were calculated.Patients were divided into survival group and fatal group according to survival situation within 3 month after admission.Logistic regression was used to analyze the differences in all the indexes between the survival group and fatal group.Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to assess the value of the above indexes in predicting the 3-month survival.Results Among 426 patients 244 died within three months after admission.Univariate analysis and multivariate Logistic regression showed that MELD score and FIB-4 index were statistically significant between the survival and fatal groups (Z =-4.783 and-4.104,x2 =26.31 and 11.34,both P < 0.01).The area under the ROC curve of MELD score,APRI score and FIB-4 index was 0.635,0.511 and 0.616 for predicting 3-month survival,respectively.Compared with the APRI score,MELD score and FIB4 index were statistically different (x2 =13.669 and 6.341,P < 0.05 or P < 0.01).When MELD score > 28,FIB-4 index > 11.27,the patient has a high fatality rate and poor prognosis within three months.Conclusion FIB-4 index can be used to evaluate the short-term prognosis of patients with chronic liver failure,and the higher score of FIB-4 index predicts the worse prognosis.