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Using a matched case control design conducted at MRC Gambia in 2015, we measured vitamin D levels in pairs of asymptomatic children with discordant tuberculin skin test status despite the same sleeping proximity to the same adult TB index case. Median ages of groups (infected; 10.0 years, uninfected 8.8 years) were not significantly different (p = 0.13). Mean vitamin D levels were 2.05 ng/mL (95% CI - 0.288 to 4.38) higher in 24 highly TB-exposed uninfected children compared with 24 matched highly TB-exposed infected children (p = 0.08). The findings warrant further investigation in larger studies to understand the implications and significance. Conclusion: Vitamin D levels were higher in TB-uninfected children compared with TB-infected despite equal high exposure to a TB case.

Purpose\ud Patients treated with cytotoxic chemotherapy are at risk of neutropenia, neutropenic fever and neutropenic sepsis. We hypothesised that pre-existing neutrophil function dysfunction may increase susceptibility to neutropenic fever in paediatric patients receiving cytotoxic chemotherapy.\ud \ud Methods\ud Prospective cohort study recruited patients at Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, United Kingdom. We measured neutrophil phagocytic function using a validated flow cytometric whole blood phagocytosis assay in paediatric patients (n = 16) with oncological disease before and after chemotherapy in a prospective cohort study. We recruited healthy children as a control comparator (n = 10).\ud \ud Results\ud We found significantly decreased phagocytic function in oncology patients compared to healthy participants. In five patients who developed neutropenic fever, we observed increased pre-dose neutrophil respiratory burst.\ud \ud Conclusion\ud With further validation, measurement of neutrophil function could potentially be used to personalise appropriate prophylactic antimicrobial administration for patients receiving cytotoxic chemotherapy.