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Background: Tuberculosis (TB), caused by the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex, remains a leading cause of global morbidity and mortality. While pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) accounts for the majority of cases, extrapulmonary TB (EPTB) presents significant diagnostic challenges due to its heterogeneous clinical manifestations and the poor sensitivity of routine microbiological tests. This study aimed to examine the physiological and biochemical characteristics of active TB patients undergoing anti-tuberculosis therapy (ATT) in comparison to healthy controls, focusing on a teenage population in Balochistan, Pakistan.
Methods: This study enrolled 200 participants (100 confirmed TB patients and 100 age-matched healthy controls) from the Fatima Jinnah Chest and General TB Sanatorium Hospital and the Center of Advanced Studies in Vaccinology and Biotechnology (CASVAB), Quetta, between August 2021 and April 2023. Participants were stratified into three age groups (13, 14-16, and 17-19 years). Data on demographics, anthropometrics, complete blood count (CBC), liver function tests (LFTs), lipid profiles, and renal markers were collected and analyzed using SPSS version 22. Descriptive statistics, paired t-tests, and correlation analyses were employed, with a significance level set at p < 0.05.
Results: The study population was predominantly male (58%) and from the 17-19 years age group (62%). A significant proportion of patients had a normal-to-low body mass index (BMI) and belonged to the middle socioeconomic class. Hematological analysis revealed derangements, including leukocytosis (36%) and anemia (79% had low hemoglobin). Liver function tests showed generally normal bilirubin levels, but elevated alanine transaminase (SGPT/ALT) was observed in 26% of patients. Dyslipidemia was common, characterized by hypertriglyceridemia (16%) and low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels (63%). Comparative analysis between patients and controls revealed statistically significant differences in most CBC parameters, including hematocrit, mean corpuscular volume, and platelet counts (p < 0.05), while red blood cell and monocyte counts did not differ significantly.
Conclusion: This study highlights the critical importance of hematological, hepatic, and metabolic monitoring during ATT. While some hematological abnormalities improve with therapy, dyslipidemia may persist and requires concurrent management. These findings underscore the need for standardized protocols to mitigate treatment-related hepatotoxicity and justify further research into the metabolic consequences of TB, particularly in endemic regions like Pakistan
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