Low vitamin K status predicts mortality in a cohort of 138 hospitalized patients with COVID-19

Linneberg, A.; Kampmann, F. B.; Israelsen, S. B.; Andersen, L. R.; Joergensen, H. L.; Sandholt, H.; Joergensen, N. R.; Thysen, S. M.; Benfield, T.

It has recently been hypothesised that Vitamin K could play a role in COVID-19. We aimed to test the hypothesis that low vitamin K status is a common characteristic of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 compared to population controls; and that low vitamin K status predicts mortality in COVID-19 patients. In a cohort of 138 COVID-19 patients and 140 population controls, we measured plasma dephosphorylated-uncarboxylated Matrix Gla Protein (dp-ucMGP), which reflects the functional Vitamin K status in peripheral tissue. Fourty-three patients died within 90-days from admission. In patients, levels of dp-ucMGP differed significantly between survivors (mean 877; 95% CI: 778; 995) and non-survivors (mean 1445; 95% CI: 1148; 1820). Furthermore, levels of dp-ucMGP (pmol/L) were considerably higher in patients (mean 1022; 95% CI: 912; 1151) compared to controls (mean 509; 95% CI: 485; 540). Cox regression survival analysis showed that increasing levels of dp-ucMGP (reflecting low Vitamin K status) were associated with higher mortality risk (sex- and age-adjusted hazard ratio per doubling of dp-ucMGP was 1.50, 95% CI: 1.03; 2.18). In conclusion, we found that low Vitamin K status predicted mortality in patients with COVID-19 supporting a potential role of Vitamin K in COVID-19.