title: Clinical, radiological, and laboratory characteristics in pulmonary tuberculosis patients: comparative study of HIV-positive and HIV-negative inpatients at a referral hospital.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare clinical, radiological, and laboratory characteristics of individuals with pulmonary tuberculosis co-infected or not with HIV.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study, in which signs and symptoms were assessed by anamnesis and physical examination in patients hospitalized with pulmonary tuberculosis. The results of sputum smear microscopy and culture for Mycobacterium tuberculosis, as well as hemoglobin levels and CD4+ T-cell counts, were obtained from medical records, and chest X-ray reports were consulted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We included 50 pulmonary tuberculosis patients, who were divided into two groups (HIV-positive and HIV-negative; n = 25 per group). The mean age of the participants was 38.4 ± 10.5 years; 46 (92%) were males; and 27 (54%) were White. Expectoration was presented by 21 (84%) and 13 (52%) of the patients in the HIV-negative and HIV-positive groups, respectively (p = 0.016). Radiological findings of cavitation were present in 10 (43%) and 2 (10%) of the patients in the HIV-negative and HIV-positive groups, respectively (p = 0.016), whereas an interstitial pattern was observed in 18 (78%) and 8 (40%), respectively (p = 0.012). The mean hemoglobin level was 11.1 ± 2.9 g/dL and 9.3 ± 2.2 g/dL in the HIV-negative and HIV-positive groups, respectively (p = 0.015).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In our sample of tuberculosis patients, expectoration was less prevalent, hemoglobin levels were lower, and cavitation was less common, as was an interstitial pattern, among those co-infected with HIV than among those without HIV co-infection.
authors.affiliation: University of Southern Santa Catarina and the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil.
authors.forename: Aline
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Besen
authors.forename: Guilherme Jönck
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Staub
authors.forename: Rosemeri Maurici da
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Silva
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D060085:Coinfection / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D003371:Cough / Q000473:pathology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D018023:HIV Seronegativity; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000150:complications*; D006441:Hemoglobin A / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D017563:Lung Diseases, Interstitial / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D011859:Radiography; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging
chemical_list: D006441:Hemoglobin A