Vitamin D and tuberculosis: a multicenter study in children

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to evaluate vitamin D levels in children with latent and active TB compared to healthy controls of the same age and ethnical background. METHODS: A multicenter observational study has been conducted in three tertiary care paediatric centres: Anna Meyer Children's University Hospital, Florence, Italy; Evelina London Children's Hospital, London, United Kingdom and Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, United Kingdom. Vitamin D was considered deficient if the serum level was <25 nmol/L, insufficient between 25 and 50 nmol/L and sufficient for a level >50 nmol/L. RESULTS: The study population included 996 children screened for TB, which have been tested for vitamin D. Forty-four children (4.4%) had active TB, 138 (13.9%) latent TB and 814 (81.7%) were controls. Our study confirmed a high prevalence of hypovitaminosis D in the study population. A multivariate analysis confirmed an increased risk of hypovitaminosis D in children with latent and active TB compared to controls [(P = 0.018; RR = 1.61; 95% CI: 1.086-2.388), (P < 0.0001; RR = 4.587; 95% CI:1.190-9.608)]. CONCLUSIONS: Hypovitaminosis D was significantly associated with TB infection in our study. Further studies are needed to evaluate a possible role of vitamin D in the treatment and prevention of tuberculosis in children. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12879-014-0652-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.