Background: Every year more than 13.7 million people became an active case of tuberculosis and more than 1.5million cases of TB patients will die. The association between TB and malnutrition is bi-directional. TB leads patient to malnutrition and malnutrition increases the risk of developing active TB by 6-10 times. Therefore, improving the nutrition of individual greatly reduces tuberculosis.

Objectives: This study aims to evaluate and follow-up of the nutritional status of pulmonary TB patients based on BMI, laboratory test (CRP), CXR and clinical examination in some selected treatment facilities in addition to age & gender distribution of the respondents.

Method: This prospective follow-up study was carried out during the period from 1st January to 31st December 2010, in the Department of Biochemistry, Sylhet M.A.G Osmani Medical College, and DOT centre, Sylhet M.A.G Osmani Medical College Hospital, Sylhet. A total of 76 subjects, both male & female having 15 and 60 years of age was included in the study. Out of them 46 were smear positive newly diagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis patient (cases) and 30 were age-matched healthy subjects (control).

Results: During the study, both patients were presented with weight loss followed by 95.7 percent had cough, fever had 84.8 percent cases, 34.8 percent had haemoptysis, 50 percent had chest pain. Mean (± SD) serum CRP amount (mg/l) is 79.59 (±22.71) and 7.5 (± 1.68) in cases and controls respectively at the time of diagnosis. An unpaired t-test was performed to compare serum level of C-reactive protein between cases and controls. Serum CRP level was slightly higher in cases than controls (p <0.001). 71.7 percent cases had unilateral opacities; 28.3 percent had bilateral opacities. 13 percent had cavity on chest radiograph. Lower levels of TC, TG, LDLC and HDLC were observed in this study.

Conclusion: In patients with pulmonary tuberculosis, the results of this research indicate lower nutritional profile values. This could be linked to high frequency radicals, oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation. Improved diet and dietary supplements will avoid oxidative stress and further risks in the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis.