Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia and tuberculosis in Tanzanian patients infected with HIV

Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 1993 Jan-Feb;87(1):55-6. doi: 10.1016/0035-9203(93)90418-p.

Abstract

PIP: Between August and December 1991 in Tanzania, a study to determine the prevalence of Pneumocystis carinii and of tuberculosis occurred among 83 18-38 year old HIV seropositive people living in the rural area of Malenga Makali in Iringa district. The adults had difficulty breathing, cough, fever of at least 2 weeks duration, or overt pneumonia. 3.6% of the sputum samples were confirmed positive for P. carinii. 38.5% of preparations and 13.2% of cultures tested positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis. All these isolates were completely sensitive to standard antibiotics. 2 of the 3 patients testing positive for P. carinii also had pulmonary tuberculosis. These findings showed that sputum contains many mycobacteria. They also confirmed that TB is associated with HIV infection in several African countries and that P. carinii infection occurs less frequently than it does in Europe and the US, but occurs nevertheless. A possible explanation for the low prevalence of P. carinii infection in Africa is that more virulent infections kill AIDS patients before P. carinii pneumonia has a chance to develop. The researchers admit that their inability to use more suitable specimens obtained by bronchoalveolar lavage or transbronchial biopsy could have resulted in considerable underdiagnosis. They recommended further clinical research to determine the real importance of P. carinii in developing countries.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / complications*
  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis / isolation & purification*
  • Pneumocystis / isolation & purification*
  • Sputum / microbiology
  • Tanzania
  • Tuberculosis / complications*