• Camille G Apple, Elizabeth S Miller, Kolenkode B Kannan, Julie A Stortz, Michael Cox, Tyler J Loftus, Hari K Parvataneni, Matthew Patrick, Jennifer E Hagen, Scott Brakenridge, Philip A Efron, and Alicia M Mohr.
• From the Department of Surgery and Sepsis and Critical Illness Research Center (C.G.A., E.S.M., K.B.K., J.A.S., M.C., T.J.L., S.B., P.A.E., A.M.M.), University of Florida Health; and Department of Orthopedic Surgery (H.K.P., M.P., J.E.H.), University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
• J Trauma Acute Care Surg. 2020 Dec 1; 89 (6): 1124-1130.

BackgroundSevere traumatic injury leads to persistent injury-associated anemia that is associated with hypercatecholaminemia, systemic inflammation, increased hepcidin, and a functional iron deficiency. Vitamin D has been shown to reduce proinflammatory cytokines and hepcidin concentrations. This study aimed to investigate the association of vitamin D status with inflammation, iron biomarkers, and anemia following blunt trauma.MethodsA prospective observational cohort study comparing blunt trauma patients (n = 45) with elective hip replacement patients (n = 22) and healthy controls (n = 8) was performed. Bone marrow ferroportin, transferrin receptor, and erythroferrone expression was measured using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Plasma was assessed for systemic inflammation, erythropoietin (EPO), iron regulation, and vitamin D (25-OH) concentrations using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Hemoglobin was measured on the day of discharge.ResultsCompared with hip replacement, trauma patients had higher plasma interleukin-6 (90.1 vs. 3.8 pg/mL), C-reactive protein (6,223 vs. 2,612 ng/mL), and hepcidin (79.3 vs. 21.2 ng/mL) concentrations. Trauma patients had lower vitamin D (25-OH) (12.8 vs. 18.1 ng/mL) and iron (23.5 vs. 59.9 μg/mL) levels compared with hip replacement patients. Despite the higher hepcidin EPO levels, bone marrow erythroferrone expression was increased 69% following trauma.ConclusionFollowing elective hip replacement, patients did have anemia and impaired iron homeostasis without a significant change in inflammatory biomarkers, EPO, and vitamin D status. Vitamin D status did correlate with systemic inflammation, iron dysfunction, and persistent injury-associated anemia following severe blunt trauma. Further research is needed to determine whether supplementation with vitamin D in the trauma population could improve the persistent injury-associated anemia.Level Of EvidenceProspective study, prognostic, level III.

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