Pulmonary tuberculosis: hematology, serum biochemistry and the relation with the disease duration

ABSTRACT

The aim of the present study was to analyze the relationship between hematological and biochemical parameters and tuberculosis process activity time according to clinical complaint duration. It was a retrospective study analyzing medical records from 80 pulmonary tuberculosis patients at Botucatu Medical School University Hospital (Botucatu, São Paulo State, Brazil), who were divided into 2 groups according to clinical complaint duration Group 1 (G1) - up to three months; Group 2 (G2) - over three months. Parameters included age, gender, bacilloscopy, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), platelet count, alpha1-globulin, alpha2-globulin, gamma globulin, mucoprotein, alpha1-acid glycoprotein values, and the presence of risk factors such as smoking, alcoholism, drug addiction, sexual promiscuity, contact with tuberculosis carriers, and previous treatment. Groups were compared by calculating t and p, and Chi-square (X²) and p. Comparisons revealed a tendency towards smoking with a higher frequency of smokers in G1 (0.05platelet values than G2 (0.05behavior between groups (p>0.05). A correlation was found between ESR, platelet count, smoking and less than three months clinical duration.