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Vitamin D deficiency and tuberculosis: what about body mass index?
Authors Hernández-Garduño E
Received 24 January 2017
Accepted for publication 26 February 2017
Published 11 April 2017 Volume 2017:11 Pages 1193—1194
DOI https://doi.org/10.2147/DDDT.S133094
Checked for plagiarism Yes
Review by Single anonymous peer review
Peer reviewer comments 2
Editor who approved publication: Dr Jianbo Sun
Eduardo Hernández-Garduño
Research Unit, State Oncology Centre, Social Security Institute of the State of Mexico and Municipalities (ISSEMyM), Toluca, State of Mexico, Mexico
Huang et al conducted a meta-analysis of published studies on various aspects of association between vitamin D and tuberculosis (TB).1 The study concluded that vitamin D deficiency (VDD) was associated with higher risk of TB. However, low body mass index (BMI), a well-recognized and a stronger risk factor of TB than VDD, was not mentioned in this review nor was it accounted for in the multivariable analysis in the majority of case–control studies included in the meta-analysis exploring the association between TB and VDD. Vitamin D levels are likely to be positively correlated with weight/BMI. Infected people who are underweight by $15%, 10%–14% and 5%–9% are at increased risk of progression to TB disease with 2.6, 2.0 and 2.2 cases per 1,000 person-year, respectively.2 Contradictory results were found in the few studies of this meta-analysis1 that considered weight/BMI in the multivariable analysis. One study showed a weak association between VDD and TB (odds ratio: 1.07, 95% confidence interval 1.01–8.52) but only in men.3 Another study found no such association.4
View the original paper by Huang and colleagues.
Dear editor
Huang et al conducted a meta-analysis of published studies on various aspects of association between vitamin D and tuberculosis (TB).1 The study concluded that vitamin D deficiency (VDD) was associated with higher risk of TB. However, low body mass index (BMI), a well-recognized and a stronger risk factor of TB than VDD, was not mentioned in this review nor was it accounted for in the multivariable analysis in the majority of case–control studies included in the meta-analysis exploring the association between TB and VDD. Vitamin D levels are likely to be positively correlated with weight/BMI. Infected people who are underweight by ≥15%, 10%–14% and 5%–9% are at increased risk of progression to TB disease with 2.6, 2.0 and 2.2 cases per 1,000 person-year, respectively.2 Contradictory results were found in the few studies of this meta-analysis1 that considered weight/BMI in the multivariable analysis. One study showed a weak association between VDD and TB (odds ratio: 1.07, 95% confidence interval 1.01–8.52) but only in men.3 Another study found no such association.4
Protein-calorie malnutrition is recognized as a well-established risk factor of TB disease, if not the strongest.5 Some studies in the meta-analysis1 consistently showed that TB patients have lower weight/BMI as compared to controls and therefore this should always be considered in the multivariable analysis assessing nutritional risk factors of TB. Besides low levels of vitamin D, underweight TB patients likely have low levels of other vitamins, calcium, albumin, ferritin or cholesterol (to mention a few) as shown by some studies included in Huang et al meta-analysis.1
Future studies focusing on nutritional deficiency risk factors for TB should consider all of these factors together and/or independently as playing a role.
Disclosure
The author reports no conflicts of interest in this communication.
References
Huang SJ, Wang XH, Liu ZD, et al. Vitamin D deficiency and the risk of tuberculosis: a meta-analysis. Drug Des Devel Ther. 2017;11:91–102. | ||
Targeted tuberculin testing and treatment of latent tuberculosis infection. This official statement of the American Thoracic Society was adopted by the ATS Board of Directors, July 1999. This is a Joint Statement of the American Thoracic Society (ATS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This statement was endorsed by the Council of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. (IDSA), September 1999, and the sections of this statement. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2000;161(4 Pt 2):S221–S247. | ||
Ho-Pham LT, Nguyen ND, Nguyen TT, et al. Association between vitamin D insufficiency and tuberculosis in a Vietnamese population. BMC Infect Dis. 2010;10:306. | ||
Wejse C, Olesen R, Rabna P, et al. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D in a West African population of tuberculosis patients and unmatched healthy controls. Am J Clin Nutr. 2007;86(5):1376–1383. | ||
Koethe JR, von Reyn CF. Protein-calorie malnutrition, macronutrient supplements, and tuberculosis. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis. 2016;20(7):857–863. | ||
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