Relationship between iron deficiency and severity of tuberculosis: Influence on T cell subsets
Zheyue Wang,
Zhenpeng Guo,
Qiang Zhang,
Chenchen Yang,
Xinling Shi,
Qin Wen,
Yuan Xue,
Zhixin Zhang,
Jianming Wang
Affiliations
Zheyue Wang
Department of Epidemiology, Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety and Emergency Prevention and Control Technology of Higher Education Institutions in Jiangsu Province, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China; Changzhou Medical Center, Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou 213004, China; Department of Epidemiology, Gusu School, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China; National Vaccine Innovation Platform, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
Zhenpeng Guo
Department of Epidemiology, Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety and Emergency Prevention and Control Technology of Higher Education Institutions in Jiangsu Province, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China; Changzhou Medical Center, Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou 213004, China
Qiang Zhang
Department of Epidemiology, Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety and Emergency Prevention and Control Technology of Higher Education Institutions in Jiangsu Province, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
Chenchen Yang
Department of Epidemiology, Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety and Emergency Prevention and Control Technology of Higher Education Institutions in Jiangsu Province, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
Xinling Shi
Department of Epidemiology, Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety and Emergency Prevention and Control Technology of Higher Education Institutions in Jiangsu Province, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
Qin Wen
Department of Epidemiology, Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety and Emergency Prevention and Control Technology of Higher Education Institutions in Jiangsu Province, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
Yuan Xue
Changzhou Medical Center, Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou 213004, China
Zhixin Zhang
Changzhou Medical Center, Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou 213004, China; Department of Pulmonary Diseases, The Third People’s Hospital of Changzhou, Changzhou 213001, China; Corresponding author
Jianming Wang
Department of Epidemiology, Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety and Emergency Prevention and Control Technology of Higher Education Institutions in Jiangsu Province, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China; Changzhou Medical Center, Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou 213004, China; Department of Epidemiology, Gusu School, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China; National Vaccine Innovation Platform, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China; Corresponding author
Summary: Tuberculosis (TB) remains a leading cause of death globally, with nearly half of TB patients experiencing iron deficiency. The role of iron supplementation as an adjunct therapy remains controversial. This study examines the impact of iron deficiency on TB progression and immune function. We conducted a case-control study involving 808 pulmonary TB patients recruited from Changzhou Third People’s Hospital (2018–2022) to investigate the association between serum iron levels and TB severity. Additionally, we evaluated the relationship between baseline serum iron levels and pulmonary lesion characteristics during antituberculosis treatment using a cohort study of 89 patients. We observed that low serum iron was associated with more severe lung symptoms, decreased MAIT, Vδ2+, and Treg cell percentages, and increased interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and IL-7 levels. Findings suggest that iron deficiency may exacerbate lung lesions by altering T cell subsets and cytokine profiles.
