Association Of Hematological Changes In Pulmonary Tuberculosis Patients
Keywords:
Pulmonary Tuberculosis, Anemia, Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate, Thrombocytosis, Disease Severity, Body Mass Index.Abstract
Pulmonary Tuberculosis (PTB) remains a major global health burden, particularly in developing countries, and is associated with significant hematological abnormalities due to chronic inflammation and immune dysregulation. The infection triggers a complex systemic response that affects bone marrow function, leading to alterations in red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. Common hematological changes include anemia, leukocytosis with neutrophilia and lymphopenia, thrombocytosis, and elevated acute phase reactants like ESR.
The study was conducted to evaluate the hematological profile of Pulmonary Tuberculosis patients and correlate findings with disease severity, nutritional status, and demographic variables. A cross-sectional study was conducted on newly diagnosed Pulmonary Tuberculosis patients. ESR, peripheral smear examination, and radiological severity grading were performed. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 26.0; ANOVA, t-test, and Pearson correlation were applied (p<0.05 significant). The study included 138 pulmonary tuberculosis patients, with 65.2% males and a mean age of 42.5 years. Anemia was highly prevalent, affecting 85.5% of patients, with normocytic normochromic anemia being the most common type. Mean hemoglobin was low at 10.1 g/dL, while ESR was markedly elevated at 68.4 mm/hr, and reactive thrombocytosis was also observed. As disease severity increased from mild to severe, hemoglobin progressively decreased from 12.2 to 8.2 g/dL, while ESR rose dramatically from 28.5 to 102.4 mm/hr. Smokers showed worse inflammatory markers and lower hemoglobin compared to non-smokers. A positive correlation was found between BMI and hemoglobin, while a negative correlation existed between BMI and ESR. Pulmonary Tuberculosis is associated with significant hematological abnormalities that correlate with disease severity, nutritional status, and smoking. Routine hematological assessment serves as an inexpensive tool for severity stratification.
