Baseline Epidemiological and Risk Factor Profile of Pulmonary Tuberculosis Patients in a Tertiary Care Setting
Main Article Content
Abstract
Objective: To describe the baseline epidemiological profile and risk factors of newly diagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) patients in a tertiary care setting and to evaluate serum adenosine deaminase (ADA) as a diagnostic and treatment-monitoring biomarker.
Material and Methods: This prospective observational study included 40 newly diagnosed PTB patients aged 18–60 years attending a tertiary care hospital over six months. Demographic characteristics, body mass index (BMI), lifestyle factors, and comorbidities were recorded. Serum ADA levels were measured at diagnosis and after two months of intensive phase therapy using the Pariksha Biotech ADA assay on the Vitros 5600 Autoanalyzer. Microbiological confirmation was obtained by sputum smear microscopy and/or CBNAAT when available.
Results: The mean age of patients was 40.98 ± 13.21 years, and 60.0% were male. The mean BMI was 17.70 ± 3.26 kg/m², indicating widespread undernutrition. Smoking (60.0%), alcohol use (30.0%), and type 2 diabetes mellitus (27.5%) were common risk factors, while 10.0% reported a family history of tuberculosis. AFB smear and CBNAAT confirmed Mycobacterium tuberculosis in 57.5% of cases. Serum ADA levels were elevated at baseline and showed a statistically significant decline after two months of therapy, consistent with clinical improvement.
Conclusion: PTB in this cohort predominantly affected undernourished, working-age adults, with smoking, alcohol use, and diabetes as major associated risk factors. Serum ADA emerged as a simple, low-cost adjunctive biomarker for the diagnosis and short-term monitoring of PTB, particularly valuable in resource-limited settings. Larger multicentric studies are warranted to validate these findings.