Influence of a single oral dose of vitamin D2 on serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations in tuberculosis patients

SETTING: Newham Chest Clinic, London, UK. OBJECTIVE: To determine the safety and efficacy of the administration of bolus-dose vitamin D2 in elevating serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) concentrations in tuberculosis (TB) patients. DESIGN: A multi-ethnic cohort of TB patients was randomised to receive a single oral dose of 2.5 mg vitamin D2 (n = 11) or placebo (n = 14). Serum 25(OH)D and corrected calcium concentrations were determined at baseline and 1 week and 8 weeks post-dose, and compared to those of a multi-ethnic cohort of 56 healthy adults receiving an identical dose of vitamin D2. RESULTS: Hypovitaminosis D (serum 25[OH]D < 75 nmol/1) was present in all patients at baseline. A single oral dose of 2.5 mg vitamin D 2 corrected hypovitaminosis D in all patients in the intervention arm of the study at 1 week post-dose, and induced a 109.5 nmol/l mean increase in their serum 25(OH)D concentration. Hypovitaminosis D recurred in 10/11 patients at 8 weeks post-dose. No patient receiving vitamin D2 experienced hypercalcaemia. Patients receiving 2.5 mg vitamin D2 experienced a greater mean increase in serum 25(OH)D at 1 week post-dose than healthy adults receiving 2.5 mg vitamin D2. CONCLUSION: A single oral dose of 2.5 mg vitamin D2 corrects hypovitaminosis D at 1 week but not at 8 weeks post-dose in TB patients. ©2009 The Union.