Background
TB, active pulmonary TB, PTB
CONTAGIOUS DISEASE, MINERALIZATION, CHRONIC DISEASES, TUBERCULOSIS (TB), COMPLICATIONS
Tuberculosis (TB) is a debilitating contagious disease and a major global public health problem [The high morbidity and mortality contributed by PTB necessitates supplemental management strategies in addition to the existing anti-microbial treatment. The concept of Host-directed therapy (HDT) has gained momentum in recent years, which aims at modifying the host cell functions to counteract the damage and complications caused by the pathogen. A number of such adjunctive strategies has been studied, which includes Vitamin D, Pentoxifylline, Prednisolone, GM-CSF, Recombinant human interleukin, N-acetylcysteine, Immunoxel etc., with generally favorable results [Vitamin D, also called cholecalciferol, is a micronutrient which is recognized primarily for its role in bone mineralization. It has also been under scrutiny lately with respect to its immuno-modulatory properties. In recent years, extensive research has been done to look for other functions of vitamin D and its related metabolites. Many epidemiological studies have shown inverse relation in the levels of vitamin D and incidence of various infectious and chronic diseases [Consequently, in a country with a high TB burden such as India, there is a compelling need to investigate the potential benefits of vitamin D supplementation along with ATT in participants with active pulmonary TB (PTB), particularly with regards to preventing relapse after successful treatment completion and cure as well as achieving early sputum and culture conversion. If so, it can be helpful in further optimizing the management of PTB. Hitherto few studies have been conducted to investigate the effect of vitamin D in the management of PTB, albeit with small sample sizes, limited dosage of vitamin D and with analysis of limited parameters in India [