Background: Pulmonary Tuberculosis (PTB) is a chronic infectious disease that caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis which primarily affect lungs but can also involve other organs. PTB spreads through air with symptoms like chronic cough, chest pain, fever, weight loss, and night sweats and TB remains a major cause of death, especially in developing countries. Vitamin D plays a vital role in immunity, and its deficiency lead to increased susceptibility to PTB and drugs like Anti-TB drugs like rifampicin can worsen the Vitamin D deficiency by altering its metabolism. Despite abundant sunlight, India faces widespread Vitamin D deficiency (70–100%) due to poor diet, low sun exposure, and lifestyle factors.
Aim: To assess and compare circulatory Vit-D status of newly diagnosed PTB patients before and after DOTs.
Method: This study was conducted on 75 newly diagnosed sputum smear-positive PTB patients aged 18–60 years from the Department of Medicine, Dr. KKBM Subharti Hospital Government Dehradun. All biochemical investigations were carried out in the Clinical Biochemistry Laboratory at Dr. KKBM Subharti Hospital, Jhajra Campus, Dehradun. The study period was from September to December 2023 and followed a non-randomized trial design. Both male and female patients were included.
Results: The study found that after 3 months of DOTs therapy, Vitamin D levels significantly decreased (P value=0.001) while urea and creatinine levels increased, suggesting that anti-TB drugs, particularly rifampicin, may impair Vitamin D metabolism and kidney function.
Conclusion: Present study shows that Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent in PTB patients and is linked to increased disease severity. DOTs therapy may further lower Vitamin D levels, highlighting the need for regular monitoring. Vitamin D supplementation should be considered to improve treatment outcomes, and future studies are needed to determine its optimal dose and duration in TB management.