A study by an international group of scientists led by Dr. Elvina Karyadi of the University of Indonesia, Jakarta, published in the April issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, shows that Vitamin A and zinc supplementation improves the effectiveness of anti-tuberculosis treatment.

Malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies in food are common in patients with tuberculosis. In this regard, scientists have studied the effects of vitamin A and zinc in the treatment of tuberculosis in 40 patients. For six months, patients on anti-tuberculosis chemotherapy received 5,000 IU of vitamin A and 15 mg of zinc per day. The same number of TB patients received placebo with chemotherapy.

The clinical, bacteriological and radiological evaluation of the patients' condition was carried out at inclusion in the study and after 2 and 6 months of treatment.

At the start of the study, two-thirds of the patients had a lack of nutrition in their group (body mass index less than 18.5), and the plasma and zinc zinc and retinol levels were lower than normal in almost a third of patients.

Adding vitamin A and zinc to food has been shown to speed up the eradication of M. tuberculosis from sputum. Two weeks after the start of treatment, no pathogen was found in the sputum in 23% of the patients in the study group and only in 13% of the control group.

In addition, the group receiving vitamins and minerals showed faster radiological dynamics. The radiographic data showed that after two months of treatment, the average surface area of the affected tissues was significantly smaller in the study group than in the control.

The clinical and radiological resolution of the process was noted in all patients in the study group, while in the control group, two patients showed development of resistance to the antimicrobial agents used. It should be noted that the addition of trace elements was more effective during the first months of treatment.

Thus, the scientists concluded that the inclusion of vitamin and mineral supplements can improve the results of existing chemotherapy for tuberculosis.

Researchers believe that the positive effects of vitamin A and zinc may be due to their effect on cytokines, although it is too early to speak of the accuracy of this claim.

If the data obtained is confirmed in the future, the use of vitamins and minerals can not only lead to a reduction in the duration of treatment and improve the results of the study, but also play an important role in the treatment of forms resistant to tuberculosis.