Low plasma vitamin A concentration is associated with tuberculosis in Moroccan population: a preliminary case control study

Mounia Qrafli,Khalid El Kari,Khalid Sadki,Mohammed El Mzibri,Hassan Aguenaou,Jamal Eddine Bourkadi

doi:10.1186/s13104-017-2737-z

Abstract

BackgroundVitamin A plays numerous roles in immune system. Its deficiency alters both the innate and adaptive immunity. Previous results reported that the micronutrients deficiency, particularly vitamin A, is observed in patients with tuberculosis. Thus, we aimed in this study to assess vitamin A concentrations in Moroccan patients with tuberculosis to set up a large efficacy study of vitamin A supplementation for TB infected patients. Plasma retinol concentration was measured by HPLC in 44 recently diagnosed TB patients and 40 healthy controls.ResultsWe showed that plasma vitamin A is significantly lower in tuberculosis patients as compared to healthy controls (p < 0.0001). Moreover, no significant association was found between vitamin A deficiency and, TB severity and patients’ ages.ConclusionOur study confirms the association between low vitamin A levels and tuberculosis disease.

Highlights

Vitamin A plays numerous roles in immune system
Plasma retinol analysis Plasma retinol concentration was measured by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) (High Performance Liquid Chromatography) as previously described [27]
We reported here that plasma retinol concentration is lower in both men and women TB patients as compared to men and women healthy controls, respectively, and the difference is more pronounced in men

Summary

Introduction

Vitamin A plays numerous roles in immune system Its deficiency alters both the innate and adaptive immunity. Previous results reported that the micronutrients deficiency, vitamin A, is observed in patients with tuberculosis. Vitamin A has a pivotal role in immune responses and is essential in the host defense against pathogens as MTB [5, 6]. Hall and his colleagues have reported that Th1 and Th17 immune responses are impaired in the absence of vitamin A metabolites as demonstrated by the observation of the low level of IFN-γ and IL17 cytokines production after infection of vitamin A deficient mice with T. gondii [7]. The authors of this study have demonstrated that RA restores the level of these cytokines production and influences significantly the CD4 T cells protective immunity [7]

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Discussion

Conclusion