Vitamin D deficiency in patients with tuberculosis

Area of Science:

• Clinical Medicine
• Nutritional Science
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major global health challenge.
• Vitamin D plays a crucial role in immune function and may influence TB susceptibility and progression.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the prevalence of Vitamin D deficiency in patients diagnosed with tuberculosis.
• To explore the association between Vitamin D levels and tuberculosis in a case-control study.

Main Methods:

• A case-control study was conducted with 105 tuberculosis patients and 255 matched controls.
• Serum 25 hydroxyvitamin D [25 (OH) D3] levels were measured; deficiency was defined as < 25 ng/ml.
• Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 17.

Main Results:

• Tuberculosis patients exhibited significantly lower mean Vitamin D levels (23.23 ± 6.81 ng/ml) compared to controls (29.27 ± 8.89 ng/ml).
• Vitamin D deficiency was observed in 57% of TB cases versus 33% of controls (p < 0.0001).
• Lower Vitamin D levels were associated with female gender, lower Body Mass Index (BMI), and multi-drug resistant (MDR) tuberculosis.

Conclusions:

• A significant association exists between Vitamin D deficiency and tuberculosis.
• The deficiency is more pronounced in specific subgroups, including females, individuals with low BMI, and those with extrapulmonary or MDR-TB.
• These findings highlight the potential importance of Vitamin D status in TB management.