Muhammad Aftab, Muzammal Aslam Kataria, Rana Muhammad Arif, Farooq Asghar, Muhammad Shahid.
Frequency of vitamin D deficiency among patients of extra-pulmonary tuberculosis.
J Allama Iqbal Med Coll Jan ;19(4):868-72.

Background: Tuberculosis is a communicable disease which continues to be a major public health problem. Vitamin D is believed to have an important role in macrophage activation and the subsequent restriction of micro-organism growth. Objective: To determine the frequency of vitamin D deficiency in patients of extra-pulmonary tuberculosis at a tertiary care hospital. Methods: A total of 150 patients with extra-pulmonary tuberculosis those fulfilling the selection criteria were approached. An informed consent was taken and after ensuring an overnight fasting, 5 ml of blood samples were taken in the morning and sent to laboratory for serum vitamin D levels the same day. Data was entered and analyzed in SPSS Version 23.0. Cross tabulation was done with independent variable like age, gender, duration of disease and extra pulmonary tuberculosis site involvement. A p value of < .05 was taken as statistical significant. Confidentiality of the data was ensured. Results: Mean age was 50.2 + 19.8 years and 56% male patients and 44% female patients. Mean duration of disease was 14.14 + 5.29 months. There were 40% patients having site of extra pulmonary tuberculosis as lymphatic, 28% having site of extra pulmonary tuberculosis as meningeal and 32% having site of extra-pulmonary tuberculosis as disseminated. Vitamin D deficiency was found in 72% patients. Significant association was found between presence of vitamin D deficiency and age and gender (p < .005). Duration of disease was also significantly associated with vitamin D deficiency (P = 0.001). Conclusion: Majority of patients with extra pulmonary tuberculosis had vitamin D deficiency. Effect modifiers like age, gender and duration of disease showed significant influence.

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