444 J CLIN PRACT RES Official Journal of Erciyes University Faculty of Medicine Narrative Review DOI: 10.14744/cpr.2024.60895 J Clin Pract Res 2024;46(5):444–448 The Vicious Cycle of Malnutrition and Tuberculosis: A Narrative Review Nurhayat Tugra Ozer, 1 Kursat Gundogan 2 1 Department of Nutrition and Dietetic, Ağrı İbrahim Çeçen University, Ağrı, Türkiye 2 Division of Intensive Care, Department of Internal Medicine, Erciyes University Faculty of Medicine, Kayseri, Türkiye Tuberculosis (TB) represents a global health problem, affecting millions of individuals worldwide. A TB-related inflammatory response can occur, resulting in anorexia and increased catabolism, which may lead to malnutrition. Conversely, malnutrition is the most prevalent cause of secondary immunodeficiency and may contribute to both the incidence and prognosis of tuberculosis. In this context, there is a bidirectional relationship between malnutrition and TB. Nutritional interventions have the potential to significantly impact the prognosis of TB disease. This review aims to elucidate the relationship between malnutrition and TB and to highlight the efficacy of nutritional interventions in managing malnutrition in TB patients. Keywords: Malnutrition, nutritional assessment, tuberculosis. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION Tuberculosis (TB) is a chronic disease characterized by an infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which is known to be one of the most lethal infectious organisms in the world. It is a significant public health concern, ranking as one of the thirteen causes of mortality worldwide. 1 The World Health Organization (WHO) has estimated that there were approximately 7.5 million new TB cases and 1.3 million deaths from TB in 2022. 2 The emergence of drug-resistant strains of TB, which are resistant to the two most powerful and effective TB drugs (rifampicin and isoniazid), represents a significant challenge to public health and TB control. 3 The development of TB is influenced by a number of risk factors, including an individual’s previous exposure history, the environment in which they live, their smoking and alcohol consumption habits, the presence of tumors, and their nutritional status. 4 Malnutrition represents the most prevalent cause of secondary immunodeficiency, affecting both innate and adaptive immunity. It is referred to as “nutritionally acquired immune deficiency syndrome.” Malnutrition stimulates several immune mechanisms, making individuals susceptible to various infections. 5 Two principal mechanisms for the removal of pathogenic organisms from the body are phagocytosis and the complement cascade. In cases of undernutrition, both the opsonizing capacity of complement factor C3 and the ability of phagocytes to eliminate pathogens Cite this article as: Ozer NT, Gundogan K. The Vicious Cycle of Malnutrition and Tuberculosis: A Narrative Review. J Clin Pract Res 2024;46(5):444–448. Address for correspondence: Nurhayat Tugra Ozer. Department of Nutrition and Dietetic, Ağrı İbrahim Çeçen University, Ağrı, Türkiye Phone: +90 472 215 40 00 /3212 E-mail: dyttugraozer@gmail.com Submitted: 26.06.2024 Accepted: 10.07.2024 Available Online: 25.10.2024 Erciyes University Faculty of Medicine Publications - Available online at www.jcpres.com