Ultraviolet radiation, vitamin D, and COVID-19

Ital J Dermatol Venerol. 2021 Jun;156(3):366-373. doi: 10.23736/S2784-8671.21.06833-4. Epub 2021 Apr 29.

Abstract

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has become pandemic on March 11th, 2020. COVID-19 has a range of symptoms that includes fever, fatigue, dry cough, aches, and labored breathing to acute respiratory distress and possibly death. Health systems and hospitals have been completely rearranged since March 2020 in order to limit the high rate of virus spreading. Hence, a great debate on deferrable visits and treatments including phototherapy for skin diseases is developing. In particular, as regards phototherapy very few data are currently available regarding the chance to continue it, even if it may be a useful resource for treating numerous dermatological patients. However, phototherapy has an immunosuppressive action possibly facilitating virus infection. In the context of COVID-19 infection risk it is important to pointed out whether sunlight, phototherapy and in particular ultraviolet radiation (UV-R) constitute or not a risk for patients. In this review we aimed to focus on the relationship between UV-R, sunlight, phototherapy, and viral infections particularly focusing on COVID-19.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adaptive Immunity / radiation effects
  • Animals
  • Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / biosynthesis
  • Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / physiology
  • COVID-19 / epidemiology*
  • Cathelicidins
  • Cytokines / metabolism
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Disease Susceptibility
  • Humans
  • Immunity, Innate / radiation effects
  • Immunosuppression Therapy
  • Interleukin-6 / blood
  • Pandemics*
  • Pathogen-Associated Molecular Pattern Molecules
  • SARS-CoV-2 / genetics
  • SARS-CoV-2 / pathogenicity
  • SARS-CoV-2 / radiation effects*
  • Skin Diseases / radiotherapy
  • Sunlight* / adverse effects
  • Toll-Like Receptors / physiology
  • Ultraviolet Rays* / adverse effects
  • Ultraviolet Therapy / adverse effects
  • Viruses / radiation effects
  • Vitamin D / biosynthesis
  • Vitamin D / physiology*
  • Vitamin D / therapeutic use

Substances

  • Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides
  • Cytokines
  • IL6 protein, human
  • Interleukin-6
  • Pathogen-Associated Molecular Pattern Molecules
  • Toll-Like Receptors
  • Vitamin D
  • Cathelicidins