According to a study conducted among hospitalized patients in Telangana, vitamin D deficiency is more common in children with tuberculosis (TB) than those not infected with the bacterial disease.
The study, recently published in the journal Cureus, also found that the severe form of vitamin D deficiency – less than 10 nanograms per milliliter (ng/ml) – was higher in children with TB.
The team, including researchers from Osmania Medical College (OMC) and Government Medical College, Siddipet, conducted the study at a tertiary care center at Niloufer Hospital in Telangana for a period of one year and five months.
A total of 70 children with TB between the ages of 6 months and 12 years were included in the study.
Participants were divided into three age groups: 1-4 years, 5-8 years and 9-12 years. “The mean vitamin D level in our study was 10.43 ng/mL among cases and 22.84 ng/mL among controls,” the study authors noted.
“The study found that the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (VDD) was higher in children with TB than in controls. In addition, the severe form of VDD was higher in children with TB,” they added.
The researchers noted that clinicians should be aware of associated malnutrition and low socioeconomic status as risk factors for severe vitamin D deficiencies among them.
Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the most devastating and widespread infections in the world. It is a major cause of morbidity and mortality, particularly in developing countries, the researchers said.
TB is caused by mycobacteria. The most frequently occurring organism is Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and to a lesser extent also M. bovis and M. africanum. An imbalance between mycobacterial virulence and host immunity determines disease progression, the researchers added.
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