Paradoxical upgrading reaction in extra-pulmonary tuberculosis: association with vitamin D therapy

Glasgow, Scotland, UK.

Paradoxical reactions in tuberculosis (TB) are a notable example of our incomplete understanding of host-pathogen interactions during anti-tuberculosis treatment.

To determine risk factors for a TB paradoxical reaction, and specifically to assess for an independent association with vitamin D use.

Consecutive human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) negative adult patients treated for extra-pulmonary TB were identified from an Extended Surveillance of Mycobacterial Infections database. In our setting, vitamin D was variably prescribed for newly diagnosed TB patients. A previously published definition of paradoxical TB reaction was retrospectively applied to, and data on all previously described risk factors were extracted from, centralised electronic patient records. The association with vitamin D use was assessed using multivariate logistic regression.

Of the 249 patients included, most had TB adenopathy; 222/249 had microbiologically and/or histologically confirmed TB. Vitamin D was prescribed for 57/249 (23%) patients; 37/249 (15%) were classified as having paradoxical reactions. Younger age, acid-fast bacilli-positive invasive samples, multiple disease sites, lower lymphocyte count and vitamin D use were found to be independent risk factors.

We speculate that vitamin D-mediated signalling of pro-inflammatory innate immune cells, along with high antigenic load, may mediate paradoxical reactions in anti-tuberculosis treatment.