title: Prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in adult tuberculosis patients at a central hospital in Malawi.
abstract: Vitamin D deficiency (VDD) is associated with impaired mycobacterial immunity and susceptibility to tuberculosis (TB). We measured 25 hydroxy vitamin D levels in 161 adult TB patients at a central hospital in Malawi, of whom 120 (74.5%) had ≤75 nmol/l (hypovitaminosis D), 68 (42%) had ≤50 nmol/l (VDD) and 13.6% of in-patients and 6.8% of out-patients had ≤25 nmol/l (severe VDD). In-patients had lower body mass index (BMI; 19.0 vs. 20.5, P < 0.004), and vitamin D levels were lower in those with BMI < 20. However, on multiple regression analysis in-patient status and BMI were not associated with vitamin D level. We conclude that VDD is common in adult TB patients in Malawi. In this small sample, it was not possible to identify any independent associations of VDD.
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine, University of Malawi, Blantyre, Malawi.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Banda
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mhemedi
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Allain
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006761:Hospitals / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008295:Malawi / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012044:Regression Analysis; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D; C104450:25-hydroxyvitamin D