Micronutrient malnutrition and wasting in adults with pulmonary tuberculosis with and without HIV co-infection in Malawi

Monique van Lettow¹ , Anthony D Harries² , Johnny J Kumwenda³ , Ed E Zijlstra³ , Tamara D Clark¹ , Taha E Taha⁴ and Richard D Semba¹

¹Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA

²National Tuberculosis Control Programme, Lilongwe, Malawi

³College of Medicine, Blantyre, Malawi

⁴Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health, Baltimore, USA

author email corresponding author email

BMC Infectious Diseases 2004, 4:61doi:10.1186/1471-2334-4-61


Published:	21 December 2004

Abstract

Background

Wasting and micronutrient malnutrition have not been well characterized in adults with pulmonary tuberculosis. We hypothesized that micronutrient malnutrition is associated with wasting and higher plasma human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) load in adults with pulmonary tuberculosis.

Methods

In a cross-sectional study involving 579 HIV-positive and 222 HIV-negative adults with pulmonary tuberculosis in Zomba, Malawi, anthropometry, plasma HIV load and plasma micronutrient concentrations (retinol, α-tocopherol, carotenoids, zinc, and selenium) were measured. The risk of micronutrient deficiencies was examined at different severity levels of wasting.

Results

Body mass index (BMI), plasma retinol, carotenoid and selenium concentrations significantly decreased by increasing tertile of plasma HIV load. There were no significant differences in plasma micronutrient concentrations between HIV-negative individuals and HIV-positive individuals who were in the lowest tertile of plasma HIV load. Plasma vitamin A concentrations <0.70 μmol/L occurred in 61%, and zinc and selenium deficiency occurred in 85% and 87% respectively. Wasting, defined as BMI<18.5 was present in 59% of study participants and was independently associated with a higher risk of low carotenoids, and vitamin A and selenium deficiency. Severe wasting, defined as BMI<16.0 showed the strongest associations with deficiencies in vitamin A, selenium and plasma carotenoids.

Conclusions

These data demonstrate that wasting and higher HIV load in pulmonary tuberculosis are associated with micronutrient malnutrition.