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Observational Study
. 2016 Jun 29;11(6):e0158532.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0158532. eCollection 2016.

Circulating 25-Hydroxyvitamin D and 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D Concentrations and Postoperative Infections in Cardiac Surgical Patients: The CALCITOP-Study

Armin Zittermann  1 , Joachim Kuhn  2 , Jana B Ernst  1 , Tobias Becker  1 , Julia Larisch  1 , Jens Dreier  2 , Cornelius Knabbe  2 , Jochen Börgermann  1 , Jan F Gummert  1
Affiliations
Observational Study

Circulating 25-Hydroxyvitamin D and 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D Concentrations and Postoperative Infections in Cardiac Surgical Patients: The CALCITOP-Study

Armin Zittermann et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

Background: Vitamin D has immunomodulatory properties and seems to reduce the risk of infections. Whether low vitamin D concentrations are independent risk factors for nosocomial postoperative infections in surgical patients remains to be studied in detail.

Methods: In 3,340 consecutive cardiac surgical patients, we investigated the association of circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD; indicator of nutritional vitamin D status) and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25[OH]2D; active vitamin D hormone) with nosocomicial infections. The primary endpoint was a composite of thoracic wound infection, sepsis, and broncho-pulmonary infection. Vitamin D status was measured on the last preoperative day. Infections were assessed until discharge. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the association between vitamin D metabolite concentrations and the composite endpoint.

Results: The primary endpoint was reached by 5.6% (n = 186). In patients who reached and did not reach the endpoint, in-hospital mortality was 13.4% and 1.5%, respectively (P<0.001). Median (IQR) 25OHD and 1,25(OH)2D concentrations were 43. 2 (29.7-61.9) nmol/l and 58.0 (38.5-77.5) pmol/l, respectively. Compared with the highest 1,25(OH)2D quintile (>81.0 pmol/l), the multivariable-adjusted odds ratio of infection was 2.57 (95%CI:1.47-4.49) for the lowest 1,25(OH)2D quintile (<31.5 pmol/l) and 1.85 (95%CI:1.05-3.25) for the second lowest quintile (31.5-49.0 pmol/l). There was no significant association between 25OHD concentrations and the primary endpoint.

Conclusions: Our data indicate an independent association of low 1,25(OH)2D levels with the risk of postoperative infections in cardiac surgical patients. Future studies should pay more attention on the clinical relevance of circulating 1,25(OH)2D and its regulation.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing Interests: AZ has received speaker honoraria from DiaSorin, Germany, a company that provides test kits for 25-hydroxyvitamin D and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D measurement. None of the other authors has a conflict of interest to declare. This does not alter the authors' adherence to PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. Postoperative time course of leukocyte and C-reactive protein concentrations in cardiac surgical patients with and without infection.
The boxes express the upper and lower quartiles, and the central lines show the median. The whiskers represent the values below and above the interquartiles. The circles illustrate outliers, and the stars denote extremes. white boxes, patients without infection; grey boxes, patients with infection; POD, postoperative day
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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