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Calcitriol supplementation accelerates the recovery of patients with tuberculosis who have vitamin D deficiency: a randomized, single-blind, controlled clinical trial

Wen Y, Li L, Deng Z

BMC infectious diseases, 2022

30 participants · 10 citations

Abstract

Background: This study aimed to evaluate whether calcitriol supplementation enhances CD4+ T cell count and prognosis in patients with tuberculosis and low 25(OH)D levels.

Methods: This randomized controlled clinical trial enrolled treatment-naïve patients with tuberculosis admitted to Zigong First People's Hospital (June 2016 to April 2017). The patients were grouped as the serum 25(OH)D ≥ 75 nmol/L (Normal-25(OH)D) and 25(OH)D + T cell count during treatment, time to sputum culture conversion, time to 50% lesion absorption, and a 6-month cure rate.

Results: This study included 30 patients in each group. Baseline 25-(OH) D levels and CD4+ T cell counts were higher in the Normal-25(OH)D group than in the Low-25(OH)D and Low-25(OH)D-Calcitriol groups (25(OH)D: 79.3 ± 3.4 vs. 37.8 ± 13.4 vs. 11.9 nmol/L, P + T cell counts increased in the Low-25(OH)D-Calcitriol group during treatment to reach higher levels than in the Low-25(OH)D group at 1, 4, 8, and 24 weeks (all P < 0.05). Compared with the Low-25(OH)D group, the Low-25(OH)D-Calcitriol group showed shorter time to sputum culture conversion (3.2 ± 1.4 vs. 5.9 ± 2.5 days, P < 0.001) and time to 50% lesion absorption (7.4 ± 1.5 vs. 10.9 ± 4.0 days, P = 0.014) and similar to those in the Normal-25(OH)D group (3.1 ± 1.2 and 7.3 ± 1.5 days, respectively. The cure rate was 86.7% in the Low-25(OH)D group and 96.7% in the two other groups.

Conclusions: Calcitriol supplementation can elevate CD4+ T cell levels, shorten the time to…

How strong is the evidence?

Evidence Hub reads this as a randomized trial, done in people. Its evidence level is 2 of 5 (High · randomized trial). Randomized trials of a reasonable size are the strongest single-study design. Reported size: 30 participants or records.

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