title: Carnitine deficiency and its possible risk factors in TB patients: first report.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess carnitine serum levels and possible risk factors of its deficiency in patients with TB.
  
  
  METHODS
  All newly diagnosed TB patients admitted to an infectious diseases ward were recruited. Demographic, clinical and paraclinical characteristics of the patients were collected. Total carnitine serum concentrations were measured. To investigate factors that can predict carnitine deficiency, logistic regression analysis with odds ratio and 95% CI was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean ± standard deviation of carnitine serum levels of patients was 43.77 ± 32.92 µmol/l. Carnitine deficiency was detected in 47.7% of the study population. According to the final model of multivariate logistic regression analysis, increased serum triglyceride levels and hypoalbuminemia were identified as predictive factors of carnitine deficiency in TB patients aged over 35 years old.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nearly half of Iranian patients with TB were carnitine-deficient. Increased serum triglyceride levels and hypoalbuminemia were identified as independent risk factors of carnitine deficiency in patients aged over 35 years. Considering malnutrition as a major risk factor of TB and the safety of carnitine supplementation, use of carnitine as an adjunctive modality instead of other standard interventions may show beneficial effects in patients with TB.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Enghelab Avenue, 1417614411, PO Box 14155/6451, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Shima
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hatamkhani
authors.forename: Hossein
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Khalili
authors.forename: Iman
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Karimzadeh
authors.forename: Alireza
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Abdollahi
authors.forename: Sirous
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jafari
authors.forename: Zahra
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Khazaeipour
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002331:Carnitine / Q000097:blood* / Q000172:deficiency*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D034141:Hypoalbuminemia / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D014280:Triglycerides; D002331:Carnitine