Cookies on this website

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you click 'Accept all cookies' we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies and you won't see this message again. If you click 'Reject all non-essential cookies' only necessary cookies providing core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility will be enabled. Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings.

SETTING: Prospective cohort study, Ethiopia. OBJECTIVE: To study changes in biological markers of HIV infection progression before and after development of TB disease. DESIGN: A longitudinal study of 804 adult factory workers (95 HIV-positive, 709 HIV-negative), who were followed every 6 months for a median of 3.8 years. RESULTS: Overall, the incidence rate of TB was 10/222 = 45.1 (95%CI 24.3-83.9) per 1000 person-years of observation (PYO) among HIV-1-positive participants, compared to 14/2054 = 6.8 (95%CI 4.0-11.5) per 1000 PYO among HIV-1-negative participants (incidence rate ratio 6.62, 95%CI 2.94-14.9). Among the 10 HIV-positive participants who subsequently developed TB disease, the CD4 count was low (median 201/microliter, range 45-419), and viral load high (median 4.97 log copies/ml, range 3.70-5.58), at the routine follow-up visit prior to TB diagnosis. Following TB treatment, plasma viral load remained persistently elevated despite clinical resolution of TB disease, and seven of the 10 patients died within a median time of 8 months. CONCLUSION: In this cohort, HIV-infected Ethiopians who developed TB disease already had low CD4 counts and high viral load prior to the diagnosis of TB. Viral load did not decrease following TB treatment, leading to a poor overall prognosis in these patients.

Type

Journal article

Journal

Ethiop Med J

Publication Date

06/2003

Volume

41 Suppl 1

Pages

67 - 73

Keywords

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections, Adult, Biomarkers, CD4 Lymphocyte Count, Disease Progression, Ethiopia, Female, HIV Seropositivity, HIV-1, Humans, Incidence, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Risk Factors, Tuberculosis, Pulmonary, Viral Load