Vitamin D Supplementation As Preventive Strategy For Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (TB) is a serious worldwide health concern.

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About thirty percent of the world population is infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis which is the causative agent of TB. Immunomodulation through dietary supplementation has been widely used as a mechanism to enhance the immune system. Vitamin D mediates activation of the innate immune system in macrophages which prepare the primary line of defense against infection. After micro-organism detection, toll like receptors (TLR) on the phagocyte membrane is activated to induce transcriptional upregulation of the vitamin D receptor (VDR) and accountable for the VDRdependent regulation responsible for the upregulation of cathelicidin expression. Several studies demonstrate the impact of calcidiol levels, VDR polymorphisms and vitamin D supplementation on the acquisition of TB and the outcomes of TB infections. Increased risk of TB was reported among the people with lower vitamin D levels. Vitamin D supplementation seems to have a positive consequence on TB outcomes. Human monocytes have receptors for 1, 25 dihydroxy vitamin D that activates antimycobacterial responses in human monocytes and macrophages by enhancing phagocytosis and granuloma formation. Calcitriol induces anti mycobacterial activity in vitro. This metabolite modulates the ho