Influence of a single oral dose of vitamin D(2) on serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations in tuberculosis patients.
METHODS
Newham Chest Clinic, London, UK.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the safety and efficacy of the administration of bolus-dose vitamin D(2) in elevating serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) concentrations in tuberculosis (TB) patients.


METHODS
A multi-ethnic cohort of TB patients was randomised to receive a single oral dose of 2.5 mg vitamin D(2) (n = 11) or placebo (n = 14). Serum 25(OH)D and corrected calcium concentrations were determined at baseline and 1 week and 8 weeks post-dose, and compared to those of a multi-ethnic cohort of 56 healthy adults receiving an identical dose of vitamin D(2).


RESULTS
Hypovitaminosis D (serum 25[OH]D < 75 nmol/l) was present in all patients at baseline. A single oral dose of 2.5 mg vitamin D2 corrected hypovitaminosis D in all patients in the intervention arm of the study at 1 week post-dose, and induced a 109.5 nmol/l mean increase in their serum 25(OH)D concentration. Hypovitaminosis D recurred in 10/11 patients at 8 weeks post-dose. No patient receiving vitamin D(2) experienced hypercalcaemia. Patients receiving 2.5 mg vitamin D(2) experienced a greater mean increase in serum 25(OH)D at 1 week post-dose than healthy adults receiving 2.5 mg vitamin D(2).


CONCLUSIONS
A single oral dose of 2.5 mg vitamin D(2) corrects hypovitaminosis D at 1 week but not at 8 weeks post-dose in TB patients.
Martineau
A R
AR
Centre for Health Sciences, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, London, UK. a.martineau@qmul.ac.uk
Nanzer
A M
AM
Satkunam
K R
KR
Packe
G E
GE
Rainbow
S J
SJ
Maunsell
Z J
ZJ
Timms
P M
PM
Venton
T R
TR
Eldridge
S M
SM
Davidson
R N
RN
Wilkinson
R J
RJ
Griffiths
C J
CJ
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D004872:Ergocalciferols / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood; D014815:Vitamins / Q000008:administration & dosage*
D004872:Ergocalciferols; D014815:Vitamins; D014807:Vitamin D; C104450:25-hydroxyvitamin D