Summary This study, conducted by Bengali and Swedish research institutes, investigated whether short-term zinc supplementation improves the immune response in malnourished children with acute Shigella infections in Bangladesh. 28 children aged between 12 and 59 months were supplemented with zinc and other micronutrients daily for 2 weeks. A control group with 28 children received a…
Summary According to a study conducted by several research institutes in various countries, vitamin A and zinc supplementation increase the efficacy of standard antituberculosis therapy. Two groups of each 40 participants with newly diagnosed tuberculosis were involved in this study. One group received a supplement containing vitamin A and zinc; the other group received a…
Summary A study conducted by Bengali researchers investigated the impact of zinc supplementation in children with cholera. The study involved 179 children with diarrhea and positively tested on cholera microbes. 90 patients received a daily zinc supplementation combined with the conventional therapy (antibiotics); 89 patients received a placebo in addition to the conventional treatment. Among…
Summary This study, conducted by a Bengali and an American research institute, investigated the effects of zinc supplementation in malnourished children with shigellosis (infection of the intestines caused by Shigella bacteria). The study was conducted in a Bengali hospital and included 56 moderately malnourished children between 12 and 59 months. The children received liquid zinc or a…
Summary This study investigated the blood levels of vitamin A in 100 HIV-positive and HIV-negative tuberculosis patients and 144 blood donors. The results showed that vitamin A deficiency is common in tuberculosis and HIV infection, particularly in those patients who are infected with both diseases. It was also found that nutritional supplementation can be beneficial…
Summary Micronutrient deficiency is a key factor in the progression of tuberculosis. Based on this understanding, the present study evaluated the effect of a micronutrient supplementation, including vitamin A, B, C, E and selenium, in adults with tuberculosis. 471 adults infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and 416 HIV-negative adults with tuberculosis were investigated. The…
Summary The current study analyzed the effect of vitamin D in enhancing the immune system against Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium that induces tuberculosis. It was reported that T cells (white blood cells that are important for the immune system) can fight Mycobacterium tuberculosis with the help of vitamin D. The experiment were performed with cells.…
Summary This study evaluated blood levels of trace elements (copper, zinc, selenium and iron) in tuberculosis patients with or without human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). A total of 155 patients with tuberculosis, including 74 patients suffering from HIV, and 31 healthy participants were investigated. The results indicated that tuberculosis patients had reduced levels of trace elements…
Summary Tuberculosis and pneumonia are both infections of the lungs. This study was conducted to analyze the levels of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and its oxidized forms (dehydroascorbic acid and diketogulonic acid) in the blood of patients with tuberculosis and pneumonia. It was found that ascorbic acid was decreased in these patients, suggesting the necessity…
Summary This study evaluated the effects of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG, the main component of green tea) and triclosan (antibacterial agent) against Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium that causes tuberculosis. The experiments showed that EGCG inhibited Mycobacterium tuberculosis and increased the inhibitory activity of triclosan against this bacterium. More details can be found in the study. References…
Summary This study assessed the effect of green tea catechins in reducing oxidative stress in patients with tuberculosis. Oxidative stress is essentially an imbalance between the production of free radicals and the ability of the body to counteract their harmful effects through neutralization by antioxidants. 200 patients with tuberculosis were enrolled in the study. 100…
Summary The present study evaluated the efficacy of vitamin E and selenium in reducing oxidative stress (i.e. enhanced formation of reactive oxygen species causing damage to the cells) in patients treated for tuberculosis. Study participants were allocated to either a study group or a control group. 17 patients from the study group were given vitamin…
Summary This study evaluated the effect of vitamin D on tuberculosis, as indicated by “sputum culture conversion”, i.e. an analysis showing that a patient is cured of tuberculosis. 146 patients with tuberculosis were given either vitamin D or no supplementation. The results showed that vitamin D administration hastened recovery from tuberculosis. Further details can be…
Summary This review collected scientific studies on the effects of arginine and vitamin D against tuberculosis. It was shown that arginine and vitamin D can reduce treatment time, reduce infectivity and improve treatment efficacy against drug-resistant tuberculosis. Further details can be found in the study. References Anna P Ralph, Paul M Kelly, Nicholas M Anstey Link…
Summary This study evaluated the blood levels of antioxidants (vitamins C, E and glutathione) in tuberculosis patients and healthy persons. Reduced levels of antioxidants were found in tuberculosis patients who, consequently, were more susceptible to oxidative stress, which is an imbalance between the production of free radicals and the body´s antioxidant defences. More details can…
Summary This study analysed oxidative stress – the imbalance between the production of free radicals and the body´s ability to counteract their harmful effects through antioxidants – in tuberculosis patients, which is a predisposing factor for renal stone formation. Patients were divided in four groups: healthy people, tuberculosis patients a day before treatment, tuberculosis patients…
Summary This study analyzed the relationship between oxidative stress (imbalance between the production of free radicals and the antioxidant defenses of the body), tuberculosis and the role of green tea extract in repairing the damage caused by oxidative stress. The experiments were performed with mice. The results showed that there are high levels of oxidative…
Summary The present study estimated the blood levels of zinc and albumin (protein) in tuberculosis patients with and without HIV and compared them with the levels in healthy family members. The results showed that zinc and albumin levels were significantly low in tuberculosis patients – irrespective of their HIV status – and that both levels…
Summary This study investigated the blood levels of zinc in tuberculosis patients, with the aim to evaluate the effectiveness of anti-tuberculosis therapy. 50 tuberculosis patients and 30 healthy participants were included and tested for their zinc levels. The authors found that zinc can boost the immune system if applied during the course of treatment, thereby…
Summary The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of vitamin D supplementation in tuberculosis patients. 67 patients were given either vitamin D or a placebo. The results showed that all patients receiving vitamin D supplementation had “sputum conversion”, which is an analysis indicating that tuberculosis patients are cured. Further details can be…
Summary In this study the association between vitamin A deficiency and tuberculosis was investigated. 300 participants were categorized as mild tuberculosis and severe tuberculosis. The results showed that severe tuberculosis was associated with vitamin A deficiency. Further details can be found in the study. References T A Pakasi, E Karyadi, Y Wibowo, Y Simanjuntak, N M D Suratih, M Salean, N…
Summary This study investigated whether vitamin A and zinc supplementation increases the efficacy of antituberculosis treatment. 80 patients with tuberculosis were divided into 2 groups: one group received vitamin A and zinc daily for 6 months. The second group received no supplementation. Additionally, both groups were given the standard treatment for tuberculosis. The results showed…