Clinical Diagnostic Value of Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D in Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome

Abstract

Purpose

Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (SFTS) is an infectious disease with rapid onset and high case fatality rate. The study was to explore the clinical value by examining the serum level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25 (OH) D) in SFTS patients.

Methods

One hundred and five patients and 156 healthy controls were included. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were performed to identify independent risk factors for disease progression. Subject operating characteristics (ROC) curves were drawn, and the corresponding area under the curve (AUC) was calculated to assess the sensitivity and specificity of the diagnostic disease.

Results

The 25 (OH) D level of disease group was lower than that of healthy control group (22.12 (18.43, 25.86) ng/mL vs 27.36 (23.20, 32.71) ng/mL; P<0.05). The 25 (OH) D level of severe disease group was lower than that of mild disease group (20.55(16.30, 24.44) ng/mL vs 24.94(20.89, 31.91) ng/mL; P<0.05). And there was no significant difference of 25 (OH) D level between the survival group and death group in severe disease group. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that the 25 (OH) D level under 19.665 ng/mL was an independent risk factor for the development of SFTS (OR = 0.901, P=0.040). Furthermore, age more than 68.5 years old and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) more than 1023.5U/L were independent risk factors for death in severe patients with SFTS.

Conclusion

Patients with SFTS have reduced 25 (OH) D level, and 25 (OH) D is a risk factor for disease severity in patients with SFTS. Vitamin D supplementation may be an effective measure to reduce the risk of infection and improve the prognosis.

Keywords:

• severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome
• 25-hydroxyvitamin D
• risk factor

Data Sharing Statement

All data and materials were in full compliance with the journal’s policy.

Ethics Approval and Informed Consent

Our study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of the First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China and the IRB number was 2021-BE(H)-005. We could not obtain written informed consent from the patients who have been discharged from hospital because this study is a retrospective study. But we obtained oral informed consent from all participants during telephone follow-up and the approval of the Institutional Review Board of the First Affiliated Hospital of the University of Science and Technology of China. We insure that all data that could indicate the identity of the patients were kept strictly confidential in this study. Work on human beings is conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki.

Acknowledgments

Thanks to all authors for their contributions to this study.

Disclosure

All authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest in this work.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by “Development and Clinical Application of A Novel Bunyavirus IgM/IgG Antibody Detection Kit (Time-Resolved Fluorescence Immunochromatography)” (fund project no. GWLM202012).