The impact of nutrition and glucose intolerance on the development of tuberculosis in Japan
Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 4, 2026

Characterization of Metabolic Status in Nonhuman Primates with the Intravenous Glucose Tolerance Test
Published on: November 13, 2016
S Hayashi1, M Takeuchi2, K Hatsuda3
1Department of Internal Medicine, Kinki-Chuo Chest Medical Center, National Hospital Organization, Osaka, Japan.
Background:
Although Japan is categorised as an intermediate tuberculosis (TB) burden country, the incidence of TB is nevertheless decreasing.
Objective:
To identify metabolic and nutritional risk factors for the development of TB.
Design:
We compared 522 TB in-patients (350 males, 172 females) with age- and sex-matched 522 controls randomly selected from among individuals undergoing comprehensive medical examinations. Patients with relapsed or multidrug-resistant TB were excluded.
Result:
The proportion of males with glucose intolerance was significantly higher in TB patients than in controls (34.2% vs. 14.4%). Among females, the proportion with glucose intolerance was higher in TB patients than in controls (18.3% vs. 10.0%). In male and female controls and female TB patients, individuals with glucose intolerance had significantly higher body mass index (BMI) than those without glucose intolerance. Low BMI was prevalent in male TB patients; there was no significant difference between the BMIs of TB patients with glucose intolerance and those without. Significant associations were found between BMI, peripheral white blood cell count, serum albumin concentration and glucose intolerance and the development of TB in males. Albumin was a parameter significantly associated with TB development in females.
Conclusion:
In Japan, the development of TB is still associated with glucose intolerance and malnutrition.
More Related Videos
10:04Analysis of 18FDG PET/CT Imaging as a Tool for Studying Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection and Treatment in Non-human Primates
Published on: September 5, 2017
08:30Intraperitoneal Glucose Tolerance Test, Measurement of Lung Function, and Fixation of the Lung to Study the Impact of Obesity and Impaired Metabolism on Pulmonary Outcomes
Published on: March 15, 2018
Related Concept Videos
Pulmonary Tuberculosis I
Causative Organism
The primary infectious agent causing tuberculosis is Mycobacterium tuberculosis, a slow-growing, acid-fast, aerobic rod that exhibits sensitivity to heat and ultraviolet light. Instances of Mycobacterium bovis and Mycobacterium avium contributing to the development of TB infection are rare.
Mode of...
Pulmonary Tuberculosis V
Latent tuberculosis infection occurs when TB bacteria are present in a person's body, but are not causing illness or symptoms. It is not contagious, and preventive treatment is crucial to avoid the...
Pulmonary Tuberculosis II
Here is a detailed explanation of its pathophysiology:
Transmission: The process begins when a person inhales droplet nuclei containing M. tuberculosis. These are typically released into the air when an individual with pulmonary or...
Pulmonary Tuberculosis IV
Several diagnostic approaches are used to detect TB. The conventional method is the Tuberculin Skin Test (TST), also known as the Mantoux test. However, this method has...
Glucose Absorption Into the Small Intestine
Glucose Transporters
Facilitated diffusion-glucose transporters (GLUTs) are encoded by the solute-linked carrier (SLC) family 2, subfamily A gene family, or SLC2A. The 14 GLUT protein members are distributed into three classes: