Association of Vitamin D Deficiency With Pulmonary Tuberculosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Area of Science:

• Infectious Diseases
• Nutritional Immunology
• Public Health

Background:

• Pulmonary tuberculosis (TB), caused by *Mycobacterium tuberculosis*, remains a leading global cause of mortality, particularly in developing nations.
• While antibiotics exist, TB's persistence underscores the need for novel therapeutic and preventive strategies.
• Vitamin D, beyond its role in bone health, exhibits immunomodulatory properties that may inhibit mycobacterial growth.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and meta-analyze existing evidence on the association between vitamin D levels and tuberculosis.
• To quantify the odds of vitamin D deficiency in individuals with tuberculosis compared to healthy controls.

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature search was conducted across multiple databases up to May 2021.
• Included 26 studies for qualitative synthesis and 12 for meta-analysis.
• A random-effect model was employed to calculate the odds ratio (OR) for vitamin D deficiency in TB patients versus controls.

Main Results:

• Pooled analysis revealed that tuberculosis patients had 3.23 times higher odds of vitamin D deficiency compared to healthy individuals (OR=3.23, CI = 1.91-5.45, p<0.0001).
• The findings indicate a significant association between low vitamin D levels and tuberculosis infection.

Conclusions:

• A strong association exists between low vitamin D levels and tuberculosis infections.
• Further long-term prospective cohort studies in TB-endemic regions are recommended to elucidate the causal relationship.