Drug Design, Development and Therapy (Apr 2017)
Vitamin D deficiency and tuberculosis: what about body mass index?
Abstract
Eduardo Hernández-GarduñoResearch Unit, State Oncology Centre, Social Security Institute of the State of Mexico and Municipalities (ISSEMyM), Toluca, State of Mexico, MexicoHuang 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.4View the original paper by Huang and colleagues.
