title: Serum zinc levels and its association with vitamin A levels among tuberculosis patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  One-third of the total human population is infected with the Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This bacterium causes illness in up to 9 million people annually and is responsible for three deaths every minute world-wide.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the association of serum zinc level with vitamin A level in active pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) cases.
  
  
  METHODS
  It was a cross-sectional study of 208 active pulmonary TB patients aged 18-55 years. Blood samples were obtained from these patients to determine the serum zinc and serum retinol levels.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of the patients was 30.56 (±11.38) years ranging from 18 years to 55 years. More than half (54.3%) of the patients were males and 63% were married. Body mass index of the patients was 18.40 ± 3.10. The serum zinc and vitamin A levels among the patients were 9.60 (±0.86) μmol/l and 0.77 (±0.22) μmol/l respectively. However, haemoglobin, white blood cell, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and serum albumin were 10.02 (±1.33) g/dl, 10076.01 (±1822.67) cell/mm3, 14.50 (±2.95) mm/h and 3.40 (±0.32) g/dl respectively. There was a strong correlation between serum zinc and vitamin A levels (r = 0.86, P < 0.01). Vitamin A levels were not significantly different among the different age groups; however, this was significantly (P = 0.001) higher in male (0.82 ± 0.23, 95% confidence interval [CI] =0.77-0.86) patients as compared to females (0.71 ± 0.20, 95% CI = 0.67-0.75).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Zinc deficiency may indirectly influence the metabolism of Vitamin A via reduction of the levels of circulating proteins.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, King George's Medical University, Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow, India.
authors.forename: Wahid
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonary Medicine, King George's Medical University, Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow, India.
authors.forename: Irfan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ahmad
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Medicine and Public Health, King George's Medical University, Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow,, India.
authors.forename: Vinod Kumar
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Srivastava
authors.affiliation: Director, V. P. Chest Institute, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Rajendra
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Prasad
authors.affiliation: Departments of Pulmonary Medicine, King George's Medical University, Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow, India.
authors.forename: Ram Avadh Singh
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Kushwaha
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, King George's Medical University, Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow, India.
authors.forename: Mohd
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saleem
keywords: Deficiency; tuberculosis; vitamin A; zinc