CD4 deficit and tuberculosis risk persist with delayed antiretroviral therapy: 5-year data from CIPRA HT-001

SETTING

Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

OBJECTIVE

To determine long-term effects of early vs. delayed initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) on immune recovery and tuberculosis (TB) risk in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected individuals.

DESIGN

Open-label randomized controlled trial of immediate ART in HIV-infected adults with CD4 counts between 200 and 350 cells/mm(3) vs. deferring ART until the CD4 count was <200 cells/mm(3). The primary comparisons were CD4 counts over time and risk for incident TB, with 5 years of follow-up.

RESULTS

A total of 816 participants were enrolled, with 408 in each treatment arm. The early treatment group started ART within 2 weeks, while the deferred treatment group started ART a median of 1.3 years after enrollment. After 5 years, the mean CD4 count in the early treatment group was significantly higher than in the deferred treatment group (496 cells/mm(3), 95% confidence interval [CI] 477-515 vs. 373 cells/mm(3), 95%CI 357-389; P < 0.0001). TB risk was higher in the deferred treatment group (unadjusted HR 2.41, 95%CI 1.56-3.74; P < 0.0001) and strongly correlated with lower CD4 counts in time-dependent multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSION

Delays in ART initiation for HIV-infected adults with CD4 counts of 200-350 cells/mm(3) can result in long-term immune dysfunction and persistent increased risk for TB.

Outcomes of HIV-infected patients treated for recurrent tuberculosis with the standard retreatment regimen

SETTING

The Groupe Haitien d'Etude du Sarcome de Kaposi et des Infections Opportunistes (the GHESKIO AIDS and TB Center) in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

OBJECTIVE

To measure the effectiveness of the standard TB retreatment regimen (2HRZES/1HRZE/5HRE) in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected adults.

DESIGN

Cohort study.

RESULTS

Of 1318 HIV-infected patients with access to antiretroviral therapy following World Health Organization guidelines, 56 were diagnosed with recurrent pulmonary TB and retreated with the standard retreatment regimen: 10 patients (18%) died during retreatment, 3 (5%) defaulted, and 2 (4%) failed treatment. Forty-one patients (73%) achieved retreatment 'success' (cure, treatment completed). Of these, 8 (20%) died during follow-up, 5 (12%) were lost, and 5 (12%) had a second recurrence of TB. Only 26 (46%) of the 56 patients remained alive, in care, and TB-free after a median of 36 months of follow-up.

CONCLUSION

HIV-infected patients treated for recurrent TB with the standard retreatment regimen have high mortality and poor long-term outcomes.

Integration of tuberculosis screening at an HIV voluntary counselling and testing centre in Haiti

OBJECTIVE

To describe the integration of tuberculosis screening into the activities of an HIV voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) centre in a country with endemic tuberculosis.

SETTING

An HIV VCT centre in Port au Prince, Haiti.

DESIGN

All patients presenting for HIV VCT who reported cough received same-day evaluation for active tuberculosis. Of the 1327 adults presenting to the centre for the first time between January and April 1997, 263 (20%) reported cough and of these 241 (92%) were evaluated.

RESULTS

Of the 241 patients evaluated for cough, 76 (32%) were diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis. Of the 76 patients diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis, 28 (37%) had a positive smear for acid-fast bacilli (AFB), 14 (18%) had a negative AFB smear but a positive sputum culture for Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and 34 (45%) had culture-negative tuberculosis. Also, 31 out of 241 (13%) VCT clients evaluated for cough were diagnosed with bacterial pneumonia.

CONCLUSION

This report confirms that in areas with a high HIV and tuberculosis prevalence, a high proportion of VCT clients have active pulmonary tuberculosis. The integration of tuberculosis screening offers several benefits, including the diagnosis and treatment of large numbers of individuals with tuberculosis, a decreased risk of nosocomial tuberculosis transmission, and the opportunity to provide tuberculosis prophylaxis to HIV-positive patients in whom tuberculosis has been excluded. Future studies are needed to determine the cost-effectiveness of integrated tuberculosis and HIV VCT services, and whether integration should be recommended in all countries with high HIV and tuberculosis rates.

Effect of post-treatment isoniazid on prevention of recurrent tuberculosis in HIV-1-infected individuals: a randomised trial

BACKGROUND

Patients with HIV-1 infection respond well to treatment for active tuberculosis, but whether such patients are at increased risk of disease recurrence after complete cure is uncertain. We did a randomised trial in Port au Prince, Haiti, to determine whether recurrent tuberculosis after curative tuberculosis treatment is more common in HIV-1-infected individuals than HIV-1-uninfected individuals, and to determine whether post-treatment isoniazid prophylaxis decreases the risk of recurrent tuberculosis.

METHODS

Patients older than 18 years who were diagnosed with a first episode of tuberculosis at the national HIV testing centre in Haiti, and who successfully completed a 6-month rifampicin-containing regimen for active pulmonary tuberculosis, were randomly assigned 1 year of post-treatment isoniazid prophylaxis or placebo. The primary outcome measure was rate of recurrent tuberculosis after at least 24 months. An intention-to-treat analysis was used.

FINDINGS

Of 354 patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis, 274 successfully completed treatment, and 233 were randomised. Of 142 HIV-1-positive patients, 68 were assigned isoniazid and 74 placebo. Of 91 HIV-1-negative individuals, 51 were assigned isoniazid and 40 placebo. The rate of recurrent tuberculosis was 4.8 per 100 person-years in HIV-1-infected individuals and 0.4 per 100 person-years in uninfected individuals (relative risk 10.7 [95% CI 1.4-81.6]). Among HIV-1-positive patients receiving isoniazid, the tuberculosis recurrence rate was 1.4 per 100 person-years, and among HIV-1-positive patients receiving placebo, it was 7.8 per 100 person-years (0.18 [0.04-0.83]). Among HIV-1-positive individuals, all cases of recurrent tuberculosis occurred in individuals with a history of HIV-1-related symptoms before initial tuberculosis diagnosis.

INTERPRETATION

The rate of recurrent tuberculosis is higher in HIV-1-positive individuals than in HIV-1-negative individuals, and is strongly associated with a history of symptomatic HIV-1 disease before initial tuberculosis diagnosis. Post-treatment isoniazid prophylaxis decreases the risk of recurrence in HIV-1-positive individuals, and should be considered for HIV-1-positive individuals with a history of HIV-1-related symptoms at the time of tuberculosis diagnosis.