To Study Serum Vitamin D Levels In Patients With Pulmonary Tuberculosis – A One Year Hospital Based Cross Sectional Study

Abstract

Background and objectives The present study was undertaken to estimate the levels of vitamin D in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis and to estimate vitamin D levels with different degrees of sputum positivity of pulmonary tuberculosis. Methodology This one year cross sectional study was carried out on a total of 50 patients diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis based on WHO criteria from January 2012 to December 2012 in the Department of Medicine, KLES Dr. Prabhakar Kore Hospital and Medical Research Centre, Belgaum. Results Of the 50 patients, 74% of patients were males and 26% were females and the male to female ratio was 2.8:1. The commonest age group was 31 to 45 years (36%) and the mean age among males and females was 39.5 ± 17.93 and 45.3 ± 14.09 years respectively. The vitamin D levels were low in most (66%) of the patients while 12% of patients had insufficient vitamin D levels and 22% of the patients had vitamin D levels within the normal range. The mean vitamin D levels were 17.05 ± 10.04. The sputum smear for AFB was negative in 26% of patients,1+ in 22%, 2+ in 32% and 3+ in 20% of the patients respectively. Of the 10 patients with 3+ AFB, 70% of patients had vitamin D levels of ≤ 20 while 30% of patients had vitamin D levels ≥ 30. The mean vitamin D levels in patients with negative AFB findings were significantly high (25.10 ± 7.83) compared to those with 1+ (14.77 ± 5.65), 2+ (13.39 ± 9.51) and 3+ (14.94 ± 12.34). Also the mean vitamin D levels in patients aged ≤ 30 years were significantly high (26.86 ± 10.08) compared to those who were aged 31 to 45 (17.16 ± 9.60) and more than 60 years (10.61 ± 4.95). Conclusion and interpretation Vitamin D deficiency was observed in majority of the patients with pulmonary tuberculosis and there was a strong association between the vitamin D levels with increasing AFB grades and age.