Comparison of Biochemical and Hematological Profiles in Patients of Extrapulmonary and Pulmonary Tuberculosis at a Tertiary Care Center

Background Tuberculosis (TB) is a disease of global concern, especially in countries like India. Pulmonary TB (PTB) and extrapulmonary TB (EPTB) differ a lot when it comes to presentations, treatment, and outcomes. The biochemical and hematological test can serve as a marker reflecting the response to treatment in various types of TB, resulting in a better prognosis. Therefore, this study was conducted to compare the biochemical and hematological profiles in patients of extrapulmonary and pulmonary tuberculosis in adults and children. Methods TB cases were divided into four categories: PTB adult, EPTB adult, PTB pediatrics, and EPTB pediatrics. Forty-nine patients in each category were selected, resulting in a total of 196 patients. The sample size was met via convenience sampling. A total of 27 parameters were compared. Mann-Whitney U tests were used for statistical analysis. Results It was observed that serum calcium levels in PTB cases (11.65, 1.15; median and inter-quartile range (IQR), respectively) were significantly different from those in EPTB cases (9.18, 1.03; p<0.001). The median serum sodium levels in EPTB cases (139.49, 6.86) were higher than in PTB cases (130.10, 5.77; p<0.001). For total platelet count levels, a significant difference was observed between PTB (337.00, 180.75) and EPTB cases (278, 159.25; p=0.006). In EPTB cases, the total red blood count (RBC) count levels (4.47, 0.96) were higher than in PTB cases (4.24, 0.89; p=0.036). Biochemical and hematological parameters between pediatrics and adult age groups were compared, and it was observed that the median values (IQR) of serum phosphorus, total white blood cells (WBC), and platelet count in pediatric cases were 5.16 (1.09), 14.75 (6.03), and 350.00 (155.75), respectively, and were higher from those in adult cases 3.78 (0.97); 8.35 (6.66) and 264 (181.5), respectively (p<0.001). For serum creatinine levels, a significant rise was observed between PTB 0.54 (0.19) and EPTB cases 0.57 (0.16) (p<0.001). It was also observed that alanine transaminase (ALT) levels were higher in adults (18.90 (17.83)) than in the pediatric age group (24.70 (28.67); p=0.042) while alkaline phosphatase (ALP) was higher in the pediatric age group (108.95 (78.37)) than in adults (94.25 (47.92); p=0.003). Conclusion Serum calcium levels and total WBC counts were higher in PTB cases, while the levels of serum sodium and total RBC counts were higher in EPTB cases. ALT, serum phosphorus, total WBC counts, and total platelet counts were higher in the pediatric age group, while ALP, serum urea, and creatinine levels were higher in adults. Increased tissue damage and severity of disease in the pediatric age group, reactive thrombocytosis due to biogenesis in lungs, and abnormal anti-diuretic hormone secretion in PTB cases may be possible explanations for these findings. These findings may help clinicians in the early identification of potential complications, and further studies on these parameters should be conducted.