CORRELATION BETWEEN SERUM CALCIUM LEVELS AND SMEAR GRADING AMONG THE PULMONARY TUBERCULOSIS PATIENTS

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is contagious and airborne. TB was one of the top 10 causes of death worldwide in 2017. It is also the leading killer of people with HIV and a major cause of deaths related to antimicrobial resistance.
 Methods: Microscopically confirmed TB patients were included in the cases group and healthy individuals in the control group. Serum Ca was estimated by kit method, by auto analyzer. ANOVA and t- test was used to find the statistical significance.
 Results: The mean serum Ca was 7.32±1.22 mg/dl in TB and 9.41±2.13 mg/dl in controls. The mean serum Ca levels were 7.22±1.20 mg/dl, 7.14±1.14 mg/dl, 7.12±1.10 mg/dl and 7.06±1.02 mg/dl respectively for scanty, 1+. 2+ and 3+; statistically the difference were not significant (P > 0.05) between the grades.
 Conclusion: Hypocalcemia observed in pulmonary tuberculosis patients. No correlation was found between the mean serum Ca levels and grading.
 Keywords: Calcium, TB, AFB.