 |
| Author | Post |
|---|
Kas
Member
|
Posted: Thu Aug 5th, 2010 02:01 |
|
" Vitamin D supplementation appears to have a beneficial effect on the treatment of tuberculosis and appears to enhance immunity to tuberculosis,[93] and vitamin D deficiency is a risk factor for tuberculosis.[94] It was noted as early as the mid-19th century that cod liver oil (which is rich in vitamin D) improved patients with tuberculosis,[95][96] but it was only in 1985 that Professor Peter Davies discovered that vitamin D deficiency appears to impair the body's ability to fight tuberculosis.[97]. Indeed, the addition of vitamin D appears to enhance the ability of monocytes and macrophages to kill M. tuberculosis in vitro.[98][99]
Genetic differences in the vitamin D receptor in West African, Gujarati and Chinese populations have been noted to affect susceptibility to tuberculosis.[100][101][102] Concerns that tuberculosis treatment itself decreases vitamin D levels[103][104] appear not to be an issue in clinical practice.[105][106][107]
The mechanism by which this happens is not entirely clear. In mice, the mechanism appears to be up-regulation of nitric oxide-mediated killing,[108] but this appears not to be the case in humans. Instead, in humans, vitamin D-mediated killing appears to happen via an antimicrobial peptide called cathelicidin.[109] Indeed, reduced levels of vitamin D may explain the increased susceptibility of African-Americans to tuberculosis,[109] and may also explain why phototherapy is effective for lupus vulgaris (tuberculosis of the skin)[110] (a finding which won Niels Finsen the Nobel Prize in 1903), because skin exposed to sunlight naturally produces more vitamin D."
I cut and pasted the above from Wikipedia. I was reading it because a friend of mine, a physician, has suspected non -active TB. She had a positive skin test, and panic broke loose. She is well, has no symptoms whatsover, and chest x - rays were clear, however they are treating her with a 6 month drug regime. Of course, she has been told to get enough Vitamin D. Well, this woman spent her first 42 years in the sun in Africa, and there is no way she never had plenty Vitamin D - perhaps even too much??? Even this hot summer here, she is extremely well tanned!
My friend worries about me having sarc and being suseptible to this, but I told her not to be concerned at all. We spend a lot of time together, as are also neighbours and socialise. Two years back, I worked in close contact with a student who did have TB diagnosis, and I remember Dr M telling me I would be fine on beni, and I was.
Now, I can't help but wonder if the MP would also address TB or even prevent latent TB or cure it?
____________________
Sarc Dx by splenectomy 03- Lungs, lymph nodes, liver, later in kidneys. Anemia. Started MP 2004. Non- stop now since 2007. No abx since March 2008.Olmetec only. Natural progesterone cream one daily x 3 weeks a month; cal / mag supplement. B12 when levels
|
Dr Trevor Marshall
Foundation Staff
|
Posted: Thu Aug 5th, 2010 02:33 |
|
Kas,
If you look at any of my recent presentations you will find that M.tb relies on perverting the VDR to escape the human immune system. With a reactivated VDR M.tb will find persistence very hard indeed. Please start by 'reading' from the 'correct' sources, not Wikipedia 
for example, look at 6:50 into this clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcAVeKobsxU
..Trevor..
Last edited on Thu Aug 5th, 2010 02:35 by Dr Trevor Marshall
|
Current time is 21:39 | |
|
|
|
|
