Observations on serum zinc in patients of pulmonary tuberculosis.

Serum zinc was estimated in 41 cases (28 males and 13 females) of pulmonary tuberculosis and 18 matched controls. Significant fall was observed in patients of pulmonary tuberculosis (62.07 micrograms/dl) than in the controls (105.44 micrograms/dl). No change was observed in levels of zinc in both sexes and was unrelated to the extent of disease. Treatment with antituberculosis drugs for two months did not alter zinc levels.

Study on hepatotoxicity and other side-effects of antituberculosis drugs.

A prospective study of different side-effects and toxicity of different antituberculosis drugs was made on 125 cases of pulmonary tuberculosis, divided into 3 groups according to the regime of treatment. Group A consisted of 50 patients, taking streptomycin, ethambutol and isoniazid. Group B of 50 patients received streptomycin plus ethambutol plus isoniazid and rifampicin and 25 patients comprising group C received streptomycin plus isoniazid plus ethambutol and pyrazinamide. The group B showed hepatotoxicity in 30% cases, out of which clinical jaundice with abnormal liver function tests being 26% and rest 4% cases were of anicteric hepatitis, while group A showed only 6% hepatotoxicity with 4% clinical jaundice and 2% anicteric hepatitis. In group A out of 50 cases only 2 patients complained of colour blindness, which reversed with the stoppage of drugs. In group C out of 25 cases 3 patients had gouty problems and responded with stoppage of drugs. Patients in group A developed jaundice in a mean of 50 days while those in group B developed jaundice in 17 days.