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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