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Association between vitamin D deficiency and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection

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Abstract

Purpose

Given that vitamin D (25(OH)D) contributes to immune defense, we sought to determine if deficiency of 25(OH)D was significantly associated with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection.

Methods

All patients with 25(OH)D determinations at the Atlanta VAMC from 2007 to 2010 were included in the analyses. These patients were cross-referenced with a prospectively collected MRSA infection database at the AVAMC (2006–2010). Patients with one or more MRSA infections during the study period were considered MRSA-infected patients. Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine the association between 25(OH)D status [deficient (<20 ng/mL) vs. non-deficient (≥20 ng/mL)] and MRSA infection.

Results

A total of 6405 patients with 25(OH)D determinations were included in the analyses, of which 401 (6.3 %) were MRSA-infected patients. Mean (SD) vitamin D levels, in ng/mL, were 21.1 (12.4) and 24.0 (12.6) for MRSA-infected patients and non-MRSA infected patients, respectively (p < 0.0001). The multivariate logistic regression model confirmed associations between MRSA infection and sex, race, BMI, HIV status, and 25(OH)D [odds ratio for 25(OH)D: 1.94; 95 % confidence interval: 1.51–2.49].

Conclusion

MRSA-infected patients had significantly lower serum vitamin D levels than non-MRSA infected patients, even when controlling for potential confounding variables.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Washington Internal Medicine Residency Program, Harborview Medical Center, Box 359892, 325 9th Ave, Seattle, WA, 98104, USA

    Jenna Thomason

  2. Atlanta Veterans’ Affairs Medical Center, Emory University School of Medicine, 1670 Clairmont Road (111-RIM), Decatur, GA, 30033, USA

    Christopher Rentsch & David Rimland

  3. Intermountain Medical Center, 5121 S. Cottonwood Street, Gardner Women and Newborn Center, LL2, Murray, UT, 84157, USA

    Edward A. Stenehjem

  4. Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, Hospital Pablo Tobón Uribe, Emory University School of Medicine, Calle 78B # 69-240, Medellín, Colombia

    Alicia I. Hidron

Authors
  1. Jenna Thomason
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  2. Christopher Rentsch
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  3. Edward A. Stenehjem
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  4. Alicia I. Hidron
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  5. David Rimland
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jenna Thomason.

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Ethical standards

This study has been approved by Emory University’s IRB and the Atlanta VA Medical Center Research and Development Committee. The study did not require patients’ written consent as it has an IRB-approved HIPAA waiver.

Conflicts of interest

The authors declare that we have no conflicts of interest.

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Thomason, J., Rentsch, C., Stenehjem, E.A. et al. Association between vitamin D deficiency and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection. Infection 43, 715–722 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s15010-015-0815-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s15010-015-0815-5

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