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Patients with TB are often malnourished and may have deficiencies of several micronutrients that play a role in the immune response. Previous studies of micronutrient supplementation for TB patients have yielded contradictory findings. Now, investigators have performed a randomized clinical trial to examine the effects of micronutrients among TB patients in Tanzania.
From April 2000 through April 2005, 887 adults initiating therapy for pulmonary TB were randomized to receive a micronutrient supplement (vitamins A, B complex, C, and E, plus selenium, dosed to provide 6–10 times the recommended daily allowance) or placebo. Outcomes monitored included culture negativity at 1 month, TB recurrence 2 to 8 months after treatment initiation, and ove…