CAN VITAMIN D SUPPLEMENTATION HASTEN RECOVERY OF TUBERCULOSIS

Background: Vitamin D has been shown to be involved in the host immune response toward Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Aim: To test whether vitamin D supplementation in treatment of patients with tuberculosis improved clinical outcome and could influence recovery. Methods: The randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled trial was conducted in TB clinics at a demographic surveillance site in Burdwan under control of Burdwan medical College. Six hundred and twenty two patients with pulmonary TB were randomized to receive either 600,000 IU of Intramuscular vitamin D3 or placebo for 2 doses. Assessments were performed in each month upto 6 months. Results: Reduction in TB score and sputum smear conversion rates were significantly differ among patients treated with vitamin D or placebo. Conclusions: Supplementation with high doses of vitamin D accelerated clinical, sputum conversion rate in all TB patients and increased host immune activation in patients. These results suggest a therapeutic role for vitamin D in the treatment of TB.