Vitamin D Deficiency Contributes To Tuberculosis

Deficiency of the vitamin D in the body could be the result of an abnormal metabolism of the vitamins. This deficiency of the Vitamin D associated with active tuberculosis (TB) is not explained by dietary or sun exposure factors.

Epidemiologic evidence suggested by the British research team established a link between vitamin D deficiency and TB, possibly owing to an immuno-modulatory role for vitamin D. Findings of this research ahs been published in the recent edition of the journal “Thorax”.

Dr.Heather Milburn from the ‘Guy’s Hospital, London’ and colleague researchers measured serum vitamin D levels at presentation and throughout the treatment in a mixed ethnic group of 178 patients attending an inner London chest clinic for possible TB and 130 healthy individuals they had contact with. Researchers were trying to find out the relationship between factors like seasonality, ethnic differences, and association with active disease.

Researchers found out that both diet and sunlight exposures are particularly important factors influencing serum vitamin D concentrations. They also administered dietary and sun exposure level with the help of questionnaires given to 35 patients and 35 healthy control individuals. Responses from all these individuals were matched for age, gender, and skin color.

Analysis of the results show that the patients with active TB from similar ethnic and social backgrounds had lower serum vitamin D levels in comparison to their healthy contacts.

Results of this study represented that overall, the mean vitamin D levels were 20.1 nmol/l in TB patients compared to 30.8 nmol/l in controls. Furthermore, significantly more patients than controls had severely deficient levels of vitamin D for more than21 nmol/l with a ratio of 64% in comparison to the ratio of 31%.

The study also established that there was no association between vitamin D levels and skin pigmentation.

Vitamin D levels demonstrated a predictable seasonal pattern in the healthy controls, rising to a peak in line with ultraviolet B radiation levels, particularly in the months of July to September. Surprisingly this behavior was completely and strikingly absent in the active TB patients.

The daily dietary intake and sunlight exposure levels came out to be similar between active TB patients and healthy controls. Interestingly, Dr. Heather Milburn and his team of researchers observed that there was a stronger correlation between daily dietary vitamin D intake and serum vitamin D levels in TB patients compared to those in healthy contacts.

Analysis of the research study established that patients with active TB from similar ethnic and social backgrounds and with comparable vitamin D intake and sun exposure have lower levels of vitamin D concentrations compared to their healthy contacts. This indicates that other factors contribute to vitamin D deficiency in the TB group.

Researchers further concluded,” the lack of seasonal variation, together with failure of a significant number of patients to increase vitamin D concentrations to normal despite replacement therapy, suggests abnormal handling of this vitamin“.

This article is the property of http://www.HealthHype.com
Copying and publishing any article from our site is strictly NOT allowed