title: Pulmonary tuberculosis mortality risks in a cohort of HIV/AIDS patients in Puerto Rico.
abstract: Pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) has re-emerged in relation to the HIV epidemic. To gain knowledge of TB infection in HIV-infected patients, we studied 106 HIV-TB cases in a cohort of 2,646 patients in Puerto Rico between January 1992 and September 1999. The TB prevalence was 4%; 82% were males and 73.6% were injecting drug users (IDU). At the time of TB diagnosis, the mean CD4+ T-cell count was 174/mm3, 35% were in antiretroviral treatment and 42.5% had another AIDS related condition. Only 9% received two or more antiretroviral medications. The death rate in the first year after the TB diagnosis was 55%. A Cox proportional hazard analysis showed that CD4+ T-cells <200/mm3 (p<0.01), history of toxoplasmosis (p<0.01), wasting syndrome (p<0.01) and lack of antiretroviral treatment (p=0.12) increased their mortality risk. The studied patients had a highly compromised immune system at the time of TB diagnosis. Low CD4+ T-cells (essential to control the TB infection) significantly increased the hazard and mortality risk of the cases studied. Early antiretroviral therapy in combination is recommended in HIV-infected patients, particularly in those with IDU, TB history and low CD4+ T-cell levels, to ensure an optimal immune system function that limits the pulmonary TB morbidity and mortality.
authors.affiliation: Universidad Central del Caribe, School of Medicine, Bayamón, Puerto Rico 00960-6032, USA. amayorb@hotmail.com
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Mayor
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Gómez
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Otero
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vilá
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Hunter
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality* / Q000503:physiopathology; D000328:Adult; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011647:Puerto Rico / Q000453:epidemiology; D012306:Risk; D015996:Survival Rate; D013997:Time Factors; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000150:complications* / Q000401:mortality*
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents