Associations between vitamin D levels, nutritional status, and inflammation in sepsis ‒ A cross-sectional study.

INTRODUCTION

sepsis is a life-threatening syndrome marked by systemic inflammation, nutritional imbalance, and high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency. However, the mechanistic interconnections between serum vitamin D levels, nutritional status, and inflammatory activity in sepsis remain poorly characterized.

OBJECTIVES

to investigate the associations among these factors in septic patients and identify an optimal serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D cutoff value for clinical assessment of sepsis.

METHODS

a cross-sectional study enrolled 97 septic patients in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) (October 2023-October 2024) and 95 age/sex-matched healthy controls. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25-(OH)D] levels, nutritional indicators, inflammatory markers, and biochemical parameters were measured and compared between groups; correlation and reveiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were performed.

RESULTS

septic patients had significantly lower 25(OH)D levels, poorer nutritional status, and higher inflammatory markers than controls. The optimal 25(OH)D cutoff for predicting sepsis was 22.55 ng/ml. Serum 25(OH)D concentrations correlated positively with nutritional parameters and negatively with inflammatory indices in septic patients.

CONCLUSIONS

serum vitamin D is a valid indicator for sepsis progression. The interrelated associations between vitamin D levels, nutritional status, and inflammation highlight vitamin D's role in modulating sepsis severity and prognosis, supporting its integration into sepsis clinical management and risk stratification.