Genotype-independent association between profound vitamin D deficiency and delayed sputum smear conversion in pulmonary tuberculosis

Table 1 Demographic and clinical characteristics of study participants at baseline (n = 260)

Age	Mean age, years (s.d.)	.31.6 (10.5)
	Age range, years	14 to 55
Sex	Male, N (%)	120 (46 %)
	Female, N (%)	140 (54 %)
Socioeconomic status^a	Lower, N (%)	177 (68 %)
	Higher, N (%)	83 (32 %)
Month of recruitment	April - September, N (%)	137 (53 %)
	October - March, N (%)	123 (47 %)
Sensitivity profile	Fully-sensitive	56 (22 %)
	Multidrug-resistant	16 (6 %)
	Undetermined	188 (72 %)
Extent of disease	Unilateral	144 (55 %)
	Bilateral	116 (45 %)
Sputum smear	1–99 AFB per 100 HPF	177 (68 %)
	≥100 AFB per 100 HPF	83 (32 %)
Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration	Median, nmol/L (IQR)	23.3 (16.0 to 34.0)
	<25 nmol/L, N (%)	140 (54 %)
	25.0 to 49.9 nmol/L, N (%)	97 (37 %)
	50.0 to 74.9 nmol/L, N (%)	17 (7 %)
	≥75.0 nmol/L, N (%)	6 (2 %)

AFB acid-fast bacilli, HPF high-power microscopy fields
^aLower socioeconomic status indicated by patient being in receipt of financial aid for hospital costs

ISSN: 1471-2334