Serum total cholesterol, HDL-C and LDL-C concentrations significantly correlate with the radiological extent of disease and the degree of smear positivity in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis

Background: Low serum total cholesterol (TC) concentrations in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) have been demonstrated. It was shown that a cholesterol-rich diet might accelerate the sterilization rate of sputum cultures in PTB patients. It is known that smear positivity might be related to the radiological extent of disease (RED) in PTB patients. Objective: We hypothesized that there might be a relationship between initial serum TC concentrations; the degree of RED (DRED) and the degree of smear positivity (DSP) in PTB patients. Method: Eighty-three PTB patients and 39 healthy controls were included in the study. Serum TC, TG, HDL-C, VLDL-C and LDL-C concentrations were determined in all subjects. PTB patients were classified for their chest X-ray findings as minimal/mild, moderate and advanced. Correlations between serum lipid concentrations, DRED and DSP (0, 1+, 2+, 3+, 4+) were investigated. PTB patients and controls were also compared for serum lipid concentrations. Results: Significant differences between PTB patients and controls were detected for serum TC, HDL-C and LDL-C concentrations. On stepwise logistic regression analysis, DRED was found as one of the significant independent predictors of serum TC levels. We also found significant correlations between DRED and serum HDL-C concentrations ( r = − 0.60, p = 0.0001) and between DRED and serum LDL-C concentrations ( r = − 0.28, p = 0.011). There were also significant correlations between DSP and serum lipid concentrations. Conclusion: Our study suggests that serum TC, HDL-C and LDL-C concentrations are generally lower in patients with PTB than those in healthy controls. In addition, changes in these parameters might be related to DRED and DSP in PTB patients.