Low cholesterol: a major risk factor for tuberculosis?

Published in Med Hypotheses. 2006;66(6):1227-30. Epub 2006 Feb 24.

Hypocholesterolemia: a major risk factor for developing pulmonary tuberculosis?
Pérez-Guzmán C, Vargas MH.
Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Respiratorias, México DF, Mexico.

This paper can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16500037

Low cholesterol may be a major risk factor for tuberculosis because:
(a) cholesterol is an important molecule for the good functioning of an immune system, and is necessary for macrophages to uptake and engulf mycobacteria.
(b) tuberculous patients often have low cholesterol, in comparison with the general population and household contacts.
(c) cholesterol has a beneficial effect against pulmonary tuberculosis, since a cholesterol-rich diet accelerates the bacteriological sterilization of sputum.
(d) many conditions traditionally considered major risk factors for tuberculosis are accompanied by low cholesterol.

Pérez-Guzmán notes that cholesterol might be given to people with low cholesterol who are at high risk for developing pulmonary tuberculosis.

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Low cholesterol levels might be a risk factor for developing pulmonary tuberculosis

Published in Rev Med Inst Mex Seguro Soc. 2008 May-Jun;46(3):247-52.

Lipid profile in household contacts of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis.
Pérez-Guzmán C, Vargas MH, Salas-Mártir C, Trejo-Santacruz T, Gallegos-Discua C, Flores-López F.
Unidad Médica de Atención Ambulatoria, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Coordinación de Investigación, Instituto de Salud del Estado de Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes, Mexico.

This paper can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19133200

Pérez-Guzmán concluded: "low cholesterol levels might be a risk factor for developing pulmonary tuberculosis".

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Cholesterol-rich diets used in tuberculosis treatment

Published in CHEST February 2005 vol. 127 no. 2 643-651

A Cholesterol-Rich Diet Accelerates Bacteriologic Sterilization in Pulmonary Tuberculosis*
Carlos Pérez-Guzmán, MD, MS, Mario H. Vargas, MD, MS, FCCP, Francisco Quiñonez, MD, MS, Norma Bazavilvazo, CCN, Adriana Aguilar, RD and the Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Respiratorias Tuberculosis Outpatient Service Team

This study can be accessed at: http://chestjournal.chestpubs.org/content/127/2/643.abstract?ijkey=7fc59c5f3fd9d8e2c4959d512612087f2f5595bf&keytype2=tf_ipsecsha

The study concluded that: "A cholesterol-rich diet accelerated the sterilization rate of sputum cultures in pulmonary tuberculosis patients, suggesting that cholesterol should be used as a complementary measure in antitubercular treatment".

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