title: Tuberculin skin test reactivity among adults infected with human immunodeficiency virus.
abstract: Infection with the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) results in decreased cell-mediated immunity, which includes decreased delayed hypersensitivity to skin test antigens. HIV-1 seropositivity and skin test reactivity to purified protein derivative (PPD) were determined among 2042 healthy Haitian adults with normal chest radiographs. Among HIV-1-seropositive individuals, 52.3% (146/279) had PPD reactions greater than or equal to 10 mm compared with 67.2% (1184/1763) of the seronegative adults (P less than .001). However, the percentage of HIV-1-seropositive individuals with PPD reactions greater than or equal to 5 mm was similar to the percentage of seronegative adults with PPD reactions greater than or equal to 10 mm (180/279 [64.5%] vs. 1184/1763 [67.2%]). Assuming that the rate of prior infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis was similar for HIV-1-seronegative and -seropositive populations, these data provide support for the recent recommendations to use induration of greater than or equal to 5 mm as evidence of past infection with M. tuberculosis in HIV-1 seropositive adults.
authors.affiliation: Department of International Health, School of Hygiene and Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21205.
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Coberly
authors.forename: H C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Clermont
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Chaisson
authors.forename: H L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Losikoff
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Ruff
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Boulos
authors.forename: N A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Halsey
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D015497:HIV-1; D006801:Humans; D006968:Hypersensitivity, Delayed; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D008297:Male; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014374:Tuberculin Test; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D015483:HIV Antibodies