An Observational Study of Hypocalcemia and Hyperphosphatemia in New Sputum Smear-positive Pulmonary Tuberculosis Patients versus Normal Healthy Individuals

Background: Pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) continues to be a serious global health concern, particularly in developing nations. Emerging data suggest that tuberculosis may be related to abnormalities in mineral metabolism, including hypocalcemia and altered phosphate levels. Serum calcium and phosphorus levels in newly diagnosed PTB patients with sputum smear-positive results and healthy individuals were compared in this study. Materials and Methods: The 60 participants in this observational study were split into two groups: 30 newly diagnosed PTB patients with sputum smear results and 30 healthy controls who were matched for age and sex. Independent sample t -tests were used to assess and statistically analyze serum calcium and phosphorus levels, with a significance level of P < 0.05. Results: PTB patients had a considerably lower mean serum calcium level (7.47 ± 0.72 mg/dL) than healthy controls (9.56 ± 0.20 mg/dL; P = 0.000). The PTB group had a slightly higher mean serum phosphorus level (3.23 ± 0.24 mg/dL) than the controls (3.50 ± 0.19 mg/dL; P = 0.000). These findings suggest a statistically significant correlation between PTB and elevated phosphorus and decreased calcium levels. Conclusion: The study indicates that newly diagnosed PTB patients have substantial hypo-calcemia and relatively lower serum phosphorus levels compared to healthy individuals. This work aids in understanding how macromineral levels fluctuate during TB infection and may indicate the necessity for treatment aimed at restoring such levels to estimate the disease’s prognosis early.