Cross-matching TB and AIDS registries: TB patients with HIV co-infection, United States, 1993-1994.
OBJECTIVE
Because of limited reporting of HIV status in case reports to the national tuberculosis (TB) surveillance system, the authors conducted this study to estimate the proportion of US TB cases with HIV co-infection and to describe demographic and clinical characteristics of co-infected patients.


METHODS
The 50 states, New York City, and Puerto Rico submitted the results of cross-matches of TB registries and HIV-AIDS registries. The authors determined the number of TB cases reported for 1993-1994 that were listed in HIV-AIDS registries and analyzed data on demographic and clinical characteristics by match status.


RESULTS
Of 49,938 TB cases reported for 1993-1994, 6863 (14%) were listed in AIDS or HIV registries. The proportions of TB-AIDS cases among TB cases varied by reporting area, from 0% to 31%. Anti-TB drug resistance was higher among TB-AIDS cases, particularly resistance to isoniazid and rifampin (multidrug resistance) and rifampin alone, In some areas with low proportions of multidrug-resistant TB cases, however, the difference in multidrug resistance between TB-AIDS patients and non-AIDS TB patients was not found.


CONCLUSIONS
The proportion of TB cases with HIV co-infection, particularly in some areas, underscores the importance of the HIV-AIDS epidemic for the epidemiology of TB. Efforts to improve HIV testing as well as reporting of HIV status for TB patients should continue to ensure optimum management of coinfected patients, enhance surveillance activities, and promote judicious resource allocation and targeted prevention and control activities.
Moore
M
M
Surveillance and Epidemiology Branch, Division of Tuberculosis Elimination, National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA.
McCray
E
E
Onorato
I M
IM
D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007538:Isoniazid / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012042:Registries; D012293:Rifampin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018088:Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
D000995:Antitubercular Agents; D007538:Isoniazid; D012293:Rifampin