title: Tuberculin testing of individuals infected with the human immunodeficiency virus: relationship with peripheral T-cell counts and active tuberculosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate tuberculin test results and relate them to the presence or absence of active tuberculosis, as well as to CD4+ and CD8+ T-lymphocyte counts.
  
  
  METHODS
  The charts of 802 patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome treated between August of 1985 and March of 2003 were reviewed. Of the 185 patients submitted to tuberculin tests (23.1%), 107 (57.8%) were male, and 78 (42.2%) were female. Patients were divided into two study groups: tuberculin test reactors (n = 28); and tuberculin test non-reactors (n = 157). Among the reactors, the mean age was 30.60 years, with a standard deviation of 6.62 years, compared with 34.45 years, with a standard deviation of 10.32 years, among the non-reactors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most of the individuals tested presented only a mild response to the tuberculin test. We found that, at the time of the test, the percentage of individuals with active tuberculosis was greater in the reactor group than in the non-reactor group. During the test period, 10 reactor group patients and 11 non-reactor group patients presented some clinical form of active tuberculosis. In addition, CD4+ T-lymphocyte counts were lower than 200 cells/mm(3) in 6 reactor group patients and in 8 non-reactor group patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Indurations greater than 5 mm were unrelated to higher absolute CD4+ T-cell counts.
authors.affiliation: Botucatu School of Medicine, Julio Mesquita Filho Universidade Estadual Paulista, Botucatu, Brazil. lsouza@fmb.unesp.br
authors.forename: Lenice do Rosário
authors.initials: Ldo R
authors.lastname: de Souza
authors.forename: Marli Therezinha Gimenez
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Galvão
authors.forename: Jussara Marcondes
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Machado
authors.forename: Domingos Alves
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Meira
authors.forename: Karlla
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Cunha
mesh_terms: D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D000328:Adult; D016516:CD4-CD8 Ratio; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014374:Tuberculin Test; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology