title: Frequency of dual tuberculosis/human immunodeficiency virus infection in patients presenting at tertiary care centers at karachi.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the frequency of dual infection of Tuberculosis and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and document the sexual practices of infected patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Medical Unit-IV of Civil Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan, in collaboration with Sindh AIDS Control Program at Services Hospital, Karachi, from January 2003 to December 2004.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients were recruited in the study at both centers and tested for both HIV and TB if any one disease was identified. Diagnosis of TB was based on positive sputum AFB smear / caseous granulomatous lesion on histopathology. Diagnosis of HIV was based on positive anti-HIV serology by LISA technique. A questionnaire was also administered to all the study participants regarding demographics, sexual practices, blood transfusion and intravenous drug abuse.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 196 patients of HIV and TB were screened for the presence of dual infection (TB/HIV). Dual infection was present in 38 (19.39%) of patients. Out of 126 patients of HIV, evidence of TB was detected in 38 (30.16%). During the same duration, 70 patients of tuberculosis were screened for HIV and none was tested positive for HIV. History of illicit sexual relationship was found in 121 (96.03%) patients and 5 of these were homosexuals.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Dual infection was present in patients of HIV with TB but vice versa was not documented in this study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi.
authors.forename: Abdul Rauf
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Memon
authors.forename: Muhammad Ashraf
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Memon
authors.forename: Arshad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Altaf
authors.forename: Sharaf Ali
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: Bader Faiyaz
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Zuberi
authors.forename: Rashid
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Qadeer
authors.forename: Salahuddin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Afsar