title: Clinical presentation of tuberculosis and the degree of immunodeficiency in patients with HIV infection.
abstract: A retrospective study of 80 HIV patients diagnosed with tuberculosis was carried out in order to evaluate the clinical presentation of tuberculosis (CPT) in relation to the degree of HIV-induced immunodeficiency, as determined by the CD4 lymphocyte count and reactivity to the tuberculin and delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction (DHR) skin tests by applying 2TU of RT-23 tuberculin, and the Muiltest IMC Merieux, respectively. CPT classification was undertaken on the basis of the location of the disease: pulmonary tuberculosis (PT), distinguishing between typical pulmonary (TP) and atypical (AP) according to the radiological pattern; extrapulmonary (ET); mixed tuberculosis (MT) pulmonary and extrapulmonary; and miliary tuberculosis. The CD4 lymphocyte count was 264.6 +/- 226.8, the TP had the highest number (505), MT had 132 (p < 0.001) and the miliary tuberculosis had 148 (p < 0.001), the lowest. The tuberculin skin test was positive in 35%, of which 11% were MT (p < 0.05). In the delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction, 67% were non-normoergic, of which 95% and 100% were MT and miliary tuberculosis, respectively (p < 0.05). There was a good overlap between CD4 depletion and skin tests. TP exhibited moderate immunodeficiency, AP severe immunodeficiency, and mixed and miliary TB extremely high immunodeficiency.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital of Santiago de Compostela, La Coruña, Spain.
authors.forename: F L
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Lado Lado
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Barrio Gómez
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Carballo Arceo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cabarcos Ortíz de Barrón
mesh_terms: D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host / Q000276:immunology*; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D014374:Tuberculin Test; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology