Micronutrients and Immune Response in COVID-19: A Case-Control Study in Nigeria.

Abstract

Background: As a result of insufficient knowledge, the significance of the immunological and nutritional status of SARS-CoV-2 patients has received very little attention in Nigeria. This study's primary goal is to compare the micronutrients and immunological indicators between SARS-CoV-2 patients (case) and controls in tertiary hospitals in southwestern Nigeria.

Methodology: This is a case-control study involving 160 participants attending two tertiary institutions in the south-west of Nigeria, grouped into two: (80) cases, COVID-19-positive patients, and (80) COVID-19-negative individuals (46 males and 34 females; 28 men and 52 females) were included. COVID-19 individuals were recruited from Olabisi Onabanjo Teaching Hospital in Sagamu and the Holding Bay of Lagos State University Teaching Hospital in Ikeja. The nasopharyngeal swab was collected into viral transport media, and COVID-19-positive and negative participants were confirmed using the polymerase chain reaction technique. Plasma from the patients was used in the assay, and levels of interleukin-6, vitamin D, ferritin, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein were estimated by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent method. At the same time, the spectrophotometry technique was used for the plasma estimation of zinc.

Results: The mean (± SD) age was 51.53 (±1.86) and 54.21 (±1.89) in COVID-19 positive and negative subjects, respectively. The results of biochemical parameters revealed that plasma interleukin-6, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and ferritin were significantly raised (264.36±20.74; 10.39±0.23), (31.84±1.21; 5.98±0.42), and (245.08±15.18; 95.25±5.30), while vitamin D and zinc were reduced in COVID-19 subjects compared with the control (18.30±1.64; 69.00±3.21), and (31.26±5.44; 46.13±2.96) (p=0.001).

Conclusion: A low plasma level of vitamin D and zinc, as well as a statistically significant elevated plasma interleukin-6, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and ferritin, were found amongst COVID-19-positive patients. It is not clear whether these are predisposing factors or consequential to the COVID-19 infection.