Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39612153›Full record

SynthesisInfection2025

The role of vitamin D in the prevention and treatment of tuberculosis: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Jiahao Meng, Xi Li, Yilin Xiong, Yumei Wu, Pan Liu, Shuguang Gao

Abstract readMeta-Analysis
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Infection, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 24 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
24citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

24 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Vitamin D in pulmonary disease.Breathe (Sheffield, England) · 2026
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  6. Recent advances in tuberculosis treatment: Towards shorter, safer, and more effective therapies.Journal of clinical tuberculosis and other mycobacterial diseases · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Jiahao MengDepartment of Orthopaedics, Xiangya Hospital Central South University, #87 Xiangya Road, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China.
Xi LiDepartment of Orthopaedics, Xiangya Hospital Central South University, #87 Xiangya Road, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China.
Yilin XiongDepartment of Orthopaedics, Xiangya Hospital Central South University, #87 Xiangya Road, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China.
Yumei WuDepartment of Orthopaedics, Xiangya Hospital Central South University, #87 Xiangya Road, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China.
Pan LiuDepartment of Orthopaedics, Xiangya Hospital Central South University, #87 Xiangya Road, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China.
Shuguang GaoDepartment of Orthopaedics, Xiangya Hospital Central South University, #87 Xiangya Road, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China. gaoshuguang0341@csu.edu.cn.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeTo explore the role of supplementing vitamin D in the prevention and treatment of tuberculosis infection through a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

methodsThe databases of PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, and Web of Science were systematically searched from inception to April 21, 2024, to identify studies comparing vitamin D supplementation with non-vitamin D supplementation for tuberculosis infection prevention or treatment. The inclusion criteria were randomized controlled trials involving participants diagnosed with either no tuberculosis or tuberculosis, with the intervention group receiving vitamin D supplementation and the control group receiving a placebo or standard treatment, and reporting outcomes related to tuberculosis prevention or treatment effects. The exclusion criteria were studies without full text and those not meeting the specific participant or treatment criteria. The analysis was performed using the Inverse Variance method with a random-effects model. Subgroup analyses were conducted to explore the impact of different administration routes. The stability of the pooled results was assessed using the leave-one-out method. Publication bias was evaluated with Egger's and Begg's tests.

resultsWe identified a total of 26 eligible trials, involving 19,586 participants. Four trials compared the preventive effects of vitamin D supplementation on tuberculosis infection, and the results (RR 0·75; 95% CI 0·56 to 1·01) were inconclusive. Regarding the role of vitamin D supplementation in anti-tuberculosis treatment, there were no significant statistical differences between the vitamin D and non-vitamin D groups in sputum smear conversion, sputum culture conversion, or time to sputum culture conversion. However, patients in the vitamin D group showed significantly lower Tuberculosis scores at 8 weeks (MD - 0·39; 95% CI -0·57 to -0 22) and 12 weeks (MD - 0·53; 95% CI - 0·84 to - 0·22). There were similar safety profiles between the two groups. Subgroup analysis based on the frequency of vitamin D intake revealed that patients who received daily vitamin D supplementation had higher rates of sputum smear conversion at 6 weeks and 8 weeks. They also had lower TB scores at 8 weeks.

conclusionSupplementing with vitamin D during anti-tuberculosis treatment does not accelerate the clearance of tuberculosis bacteria, but it can improve patient symptoms.

Indexed as

TuberculosisVitamin DDietary SupplementsHumansRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicVitamin DMeta-analysisPreventionTreatmentTuberculosisVitamin D

Identifiers

PMID39612153

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.