A recent study partially funded by Kappa Bioscience found that low vitamin K status may be associated with higher mortality in COVID-19 patients.
Photo © iStockphoto.com/spxChrome
A recent study1 partially funded by Kappa Bioscience (Oslo, Sweden) found that low vitamin K status may be associated with higher mortality in COVID-19 patients. In a cohort of 138 COVID-19 patients and 138 population controls, researchers measured plasma dephosphorylated-uncarboxylated Matrix Gla Protein (dp-ucMGP), which reflects the functional vitamin K status in peripheral tissue. Higher levels of dp-ucMGP signifies lower vitamin K status.
Among the COVID-19 patients, 43 died within 90 days from admission. Levels of dp-ucMGP differed significantly between patients that survived and those who died, and levels were significantly higher in patients compared to controls. Sex and age adjusted analysis found a statistically significant associations between increased levels of dp-ucMGP and high mortality risk. However, when the association was adjusted for co-morbidities, this association was statistically insignificant.
While the association can be partly explained by co-morbidities, the study does point to a potential role that vitamin K may play in the disease mechanisms of COVID-19. “It is hypothesized that in a state of severe vitamin K deficiency, the intrahepatic vitamin K-dependent activation of prothrombotic proteins is prioritized on the expense of peripheral activation of vitamin K-dependent proteins, such as the antithrombotic protein S, and calcification-inhibitory MGP,” explains Professor Allan Linneberg, MD, PhD, director of Center for Clinical Research and Prevention at from the Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital, in Denmark. “In addition, this may increase calcification and subsequent degradation of elastic fibres in lung tissue, leading to more severe lung damage in COVID-19 patients.”
Reference
Cracking the code: Advancements in calcium absorption and nutritional understanding
July 23rd 2024Recent research conducted by ILSI U.S. and Canada – a global, nonprofit federation dedicated to advancing precompetitive research in the food, nutrition and health realms – and partially funded by Balchem, has shed light on how to improve predictions of Ca bioavailability across different food matrices.
Recent animal study finds that Lysoveta may help reduce neonatal brain injury
July 17th 2024A recent animal study found that lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC)-bound omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs), marketed as Lysoveta by Aker BioMarine, protected against neonatal hypoxic-ischemic (HI) brain injury in mice.