Abstract

Objective: To determine the frequency and association of Vitamin D deficiency in patients with tuberculosis at 2 and 6 weeks interval.

Study Design: Cross sectional study.

Place and Duration: The study was done in medical department of District Headquarter Teaching Hospital Kohat from 1st June 2019 to 30th May 2020.

Methodology: One hundred and fifty outdoor patients of tuberculosis were selected. All the study patients were divided into two major groups. In group A patients’ vitamin D level was obtained at 2 weeks and group B patients vitamin D level was obtained at 6 weeks interval after treatment. Tuberculosis was diagnosed by presence of acid fast bacilli in sputum smears, positive culture for Mycobacterium tuberculosis or demonstration of chronic caseating granulomatous inflammation in tissue specimens. Serum 25 hydroxyvitamin D [25 (OH) D3] levels were checked at 2 weeks and then at 4 weeks. A level < 75 ng/ml was considered Vitamin D deficiency. The results were analyzed on SPSS version

Results: Only 5 (6.6%) in group A and 7 (9.3%) patients in group B had vitamin D level of 61 or above. Around one third of study patients had vitamin D level of up to 30 in both groups. The average vitamin D level was found equal in both groups. In group A the average vitamin D level was 38.7 + 13.5 where as in group B it was 39.7 + 14.0. Later on, after six weeks interval the vitamin D levels were found different among both groups. When the average vitamin D levels after intervention were compared among the two groups, it was found out that Group B patients had significantly higher vitamin D status compared to group A (53.4 vs 61.2 respectively, p-value = 0.008).

Conclusion: There is significant deficiency of Vitamin D in patients with tuberculosis. This deficiency is more pronounced in females, and in patients who have started treatment the vitamin D deficiency improved.

Keywords: Tuberculosis. Vitamin D. Tuberculosis.