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HIGH SKIN MELANIN CONTENT, VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY AND IMMUNITY: POTENTIAL INTERFERENCE FOR SEVERITY OF COVID-19

MUHAMMAD TOREQUL ISLAM 1,2#, BAHARE SALEHI 3#, OANA KARAMPELAS 4#, JAVAD SHARIFI-RAD 5,6*, ANCA OANA DOCEA 7, MIQUEL MARTORELL 8, DANIELA CALINA 9

1.Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Biophysics, Ton Duc Thang University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
2.Faculty of Pharmacy, Ton Duc Thang University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
3.Medical Ethics and Law Research Centre, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
4.Department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmaceutics, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020956, Bucharest, Romania
5.Facultad de Medicina, Universidad del Azuay, Cuenca, Ecuador
6.Phytochemistry Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
7.Department of Toxicology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349, Craiova, Romania
8.Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Pharmacy, and Centre for Healthy Living, University of Concepción, 4070386 Concepción, Chile
9.Department of Clinical Pharmacy, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349. Craiova, Romania

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Due to the strong immunomodulatory effects, vitamin D (Vit-D) may be an option in COVID-19 disease. The skin pigment melanin has the photoprotective capacity, by inhibiting the synthesis of Vit-D in human. Dark skin contains a high level of melanin, which inhibits vit-D synthesis, leading to deficiency of this vitamin in certain people worldwide. It has been reported that the angiotensin II stimulates melanogenesis process. The SARS-CoV-2 uses the ACE2 receptor for the entrance into the human lung epithelial cells. Therefore, there is an interconnection between the ACE2, angiotensin II, melanogenesis and Vit-D levels in our body. An upregulation of angiotensin II is inversely co-related to the Vit-D synthesis in human. Taken together, SARS-CoV-2 may rule over the peoples having high skin melanin contents and its consequence of Vit-D deficiency. This review aims to highlight a correlation between skin melanin content, Vit-D status, immunity and the potential effects on SARS-CoV-2 prevalence in COVID-19 patients. As a novelty of this review, clinical trials on Vit-D aiming to fight against SARS-CoV-2 related pathological conditions or comorbidities in COVID-19 were included. The results of the analysed data showed that there is scientific evidence that a potential synergistic treatment with Vit-D could reduce the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 deaths.