Asunto(s)
COVID-19/epidemiología , COVID-19/etiología , Deficiencia de alfa 1-Antitripsina/complicaciones , Deficiencia de alfa 1-Antitripsina/epidemiología , COVID-19/prevención & control , Estudios de Cohortes , Susceptibilidad a Enfermedades , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Portugal/epidemiología , Prevalencia , Riesgo , Índice de Severidad de la Enfermedad , Deficiencia de alfa 1-Antitripsina/genéticaRESUMEN
INTRODUCTION: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a new disease that we do not know yet how to treat, is rapidly evolving and has forced us to stay indoors. Surprisingly, a broad range of symptoms has been reported since COVID-19 emergence. Individual variations in susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 can be due to non-genetic and genetic factors. Alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) is an inherited condition that is associated with an increased risk of liver and lung diseases which may increase susceptibility to COVID-19 infection. At the same time, there could be a possibility of developing non-hereditary AATD. DISCUSSION: In addition to some evidence showing the role of vitamin D deficiency in COVID-19 pathology, it has been recognized that there is a biological link between AAT and vitamin D. Therefore, here we offer a new perspective that lower vitamin D levels in COVID-19 patients can cause acquired AATD that provide a condition with more disease severity and a higher risk of death. As a consequence, COVID-19 individuals with vitamin D deficiency may have a higher risk of morbidity and mortality. CONCLUSION: Therefore, early vitamin D and AAT assessments and optimal interventions could be helpful to prevent severe COVID-19 outcomes.