title: Nutrient supplementation as adjunct therapy in pulmonary tuberculosis.
abstract: The study examined the effect of supplementation with multivitamins and trace elements on microbiological and radiological recovery in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis. Forty-four patients aged 28-50 years were diagnosed with active pulmonary tuberculosis based on X-ray of the chest and smear examination of the sputum for the presence of acid-fast bacilli. They were all treated for six months with a standard anti-tuberculosis regimen that has been found to be effective worldwide for disease control. The subjects were randomized to receive either a multivitamin-trace element supplement or a placebo containing calcium. The two groups were matched on all relevant confounding variables. At two months into the treatment, the group that was supplemented with a multivitamin-trace element preparation showed a significant reduction in the number of individuals with sputum smear positive for acid-fast bacillus: two out of 22 individuals, compared with seven out of 22 among placebo-treated controls (p = 0.028, Fisher's test). It is concluded that patients with tuberculosis should be supplemented with a suitable micronutrient preparation that contains optimum amounts of all vitamins and trace elements that have been documented to enhance the immune response.
authors.affiliation: Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Centre, Y-182 Regency Park II, DLF Phase IV, Gurgaon 122002, India. nutres2002@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Ranjit Kumar
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Chandra
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010919:Placebos; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D014815:Vitamins / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000995:Antitubercular Agents; D010919:Placebos; D014131:Trace Elements; D014815:Vitamins