Background: Tubercular patients, in general, have been demonstrated with lower serum levels of vitamin D, but the levels in osteoarticular tuberculosis (TB) in children are largely unknown. We aimed to determine serum vitamin D status in pediatric cases with osteoarticular TB.
Methods: The values of serum vitamin D were estimated in 100 children with osteoarticular TB. The patients were divided into three groups based on gender, age, and site to assess variations of vitamin D levels in pediatric osteoarticular TB.
Results: Hypovitaminosis D was associated with active osteoarticular TB in children. The mean vitamin D levels were 42.165 nmol/L. There were no statistical difference between mean vitamin D levels in boys and girls (p value = 0.6143); age groups <5 and 5-12 years (p value = 0.3857); or spinal and non-spinal osteoarticular groups (p value = 0.8350).
Conclusions: Active osteoarticular TB in children was also associated with hypovitaminosis D. The correlation between hypovitaminosis D and osteoarticular TB appears to be more disease specific rather than host specific.
Keywords: Child; Osteoarticular tuberculosis; Pediatric; Vitamin D levels.