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Vitamin D and COVID‐19: Role of ACE2, age, gender, and ethnicity
Author(s) -
Getachew Bruk,
Tizabi Yousef
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of medical virology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 121
eISSN - 1096-9071
pISSN - 0146-6615
DOI - 10.1002/jmv.27075
Subject(s) - vitamin d and neurology , vitamin d deficiency , coronavirus , calcitriol receptor , medicine , angiotensin converting enzyme 2 , ethnic group , covid-19 , diabetes mellitus , disease , immune system , immunology , vitamin , virology , endocrinology , infectious disease (medical specialty) , sociology , anthropology
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) virus, disproportionally targets older people, particularly men, ethnic minorities, and individuals with underlying diseases such as compromised immune system, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. The discrepancy in COVID‐19 incidence and severity is multifaceted and likely involves biological, social, as well as nutritional status. Vitamin D deficiency, notably common in Black and Brown people and elderly, is associated with an increased susceptibility to many of the diseases comorbid with COVID‐19. Vitamin D deficiency can cause over‐activation of the pulmonary renin‐angiotensin system (RAS) leading to the respiratory syndrome. RAS is regulated in part at least by angiotensin‐converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), which also acts as a primary receptor for SARS‐CoV‐2 entry into the cells. Hence, vitamin D deficiency can exacerbate COVID‐19, via its effects on ACE2. In this review we focus on influence of age, gender, and ethnicity on vitamin D‐ACE2 interaction and susceptibility to COVID‐19.