Greenberg B L, Weisfuse I B, Makki H, Adler J, el-Sadr W, Clarke L, Gainey S, Alford T, McFarlane K, Thomas P A
Office of HIV Serosurveys/AIDS Research, New York City Department of Health, Bronx.
AIDS. 1994 Jul;8(7):957-62. doi: 10.1097/00002030-199407000-00013.
To describe more fully HIV-1 and tuberculosis (TB) coinfection in TB patients attending New York City Department of Health chest clinics (1989-1991) and one inner-city hospital (1990-1991).
An unlinked serosurvey using HIV-1-antibody testing of remnant blood specimens collected for routine medical purposes.
A total of 1414 clinic and 856 hospital patients.
HIV seropositivity and TB infection/disease.
A total of 327 (23%) of the clinic patients were HIV-1-positive, with a significantly higher seroprevalence in men (29 versus 15%, P < 0.001) and in young and middle-aged adults aged 30-50 years (P < 0.001). HIV-1 prevalence by TB diagnostic class was: class 2 (purified protein derivative-positive and chest radiograph-negative), 11% (64 out of 570); class 3 (active disease), 34% (197 out of 582); class IV (old/inactive disease), 30% (39 out of 130). Of the hospital patients 487 (57%) were HIV-1-positive. HIV-1 seroprevalence was 55% for those who were identified or believed to be HIV-1-negative on admission as indicated on the medical chart. HIV-1 seroprevalence in the clinic population decreased initially, but later increased, although not to study onset levels.
There is considerable overlap between the TB and HIV epidemics in New York City; a part of the increasing TB incidence may be independent of HIV coinfection. The control of TB will necessitate prompt diagnosis of TB and HIV-1, appropriate TB treatment and/or chemoprophylaxis, and a greater commitment to tackle the social conditions associated with the spread of the disease.
