[Correlation of the manifestations of tuberculosis and the degree of immunosuppression in patients with HIV].

CONTEXT: Correlation of the manifestations of tuberculosis and the degree of immunosuppression in patients with HIV.

BACKGROUND

The advent of HIV has contributed to the increase in the number of people with tuberculosis. The clinical and paraclinical of TB/HIV co-infected are polymorphic and function of immune status.

OBJECTIVES

To determines the clinical and paraclinical characteristics of TB related to different levels of CD4 lymphocytes.

METHODOLOGY: A retrospective case series based on analysis of 450 patients with both TB/HIV co-infections. It focused on the records of patients with pulmonary smear-positive (TPM +) with a positive HIV status. The effect of immunosuppression was analyzed in groups based on the CD4 count (<200/mm(3), of 200-350/mm(3) and>350/mm(3)), in a chronological fashion from April to September 2010 until there were 150 patients in each CD4 group.

RESULTS

Among the 450 patients, 71.1% were between 25 and 45years old. The clinical signs were more significant as the level of CD4 fell. The clinical signs were predominantly fever (93%) and weight loss (62.7%). Pulmonary cavitation (59.3%), infiltrates (38.7%) and the location of the lesions at the lung apex (72%) were more common in the third group patients. By contrast, extra pulmonary lesions (mediastinal lymphadenopathy, pleurisy) and normal x-ray (9.3%) were more frequent in patients of the first group. The scarcity of cavitations (22.3% compared to 59.3% CD4>350) and the increase in associated lesions became more marked if patients were immunocompromised. Hematologic, hepatic, renal disorders were more frequent and severe in the most immunocompromised patient group.

CONCLUSION

HIV-associated tuberculosis has an atypical clinical, radiological, biological presentation and is more severe when there is significant immunosuppression.