A Comparative Analysis of Vitamin D Status among Tuberculosis Patients and Healthy Household Contacts: A Case–Control Study from Central India

Abstract

Background and Objectives: When it comes to the nature of the relationship between tuberculosis (TB) and Vitamin D, the available literature offers contradictory findings. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between Vitamin D and TB, as well as the relationship between Vitamin D and functional capacity in TB patients from Central India. Materials and Methods: This case–control study comprised 400 participants divided into two equal groups: cases (200 TB patients) and controls (200 healthy household contacts). The study involved subjecting participants to standard laboratory tests in accordance with the management guidelines implemented by the institute. Abbott Architect i1000SR PLUS was used to test the Vitamin D levels while the Karnofsky Performance Status Scale score was used for the functional capacity of cases. Vitamin D levels were categorized into deficient, insufficient, and sufficient for every participant. Information related to the study was noted down on a structured pro forma. Results: The difference in Vitamin D values between the two groups was statistically significant, with 62.5% of deficient patients in the case group compared to 15% in the control group (confidence interval = 95%, χ 2 = 173.97, P = 0.001). The relationship between Vitamin D concentration and Karnofsky scale categories was statistically significant ( r = 0.752, P = 0.01). Interpretation and Conclusions: Vitamin D deficiency is associated with TB and a decrease in functional capacity in the region of Bundelkhand, highlighting the vital role of Vitamin D for TB patients.