HAART and risk of tuberculosis in HIV-infected South African children: a multi-site retrospective cohort

Int J Tuberc Lung Dis. 2009 Jul;13(7):862-7.

Abstract

Setting: Four human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) clinics located at South African tertiary hospitals.

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in reducing incident tuberculosis (TB) in HIV-infected children.

Design: Retrospective cohort.

Results: A total of 1132 children's records were included in the study. At entry to the cohort, the median (interquartile range [IQR]) age, CD4%, CD4 count and viral load of all children was respectively 6.3 years (4.1-8.8), 15% (9.0-22.2), 576 cells/mm(3) (287-960) and 160 000 copies/ml (54 941.5-449 683); 75.9% were started on HAART. The male:female ratio was 1:1, and median follow-up time was 1.7 years. In children whose follow-up included both pre-HAART and on-HAART periods, the incidence of clinically diagnosed TB was respectively 21.1 per 100 person-years (py; 95%CI 18.2-24.4) and 6.4/100 py (95%CI 4.8-8.1), and when restricted to confirmed cases, respectively 3.1/100 py (95%CI 2.2-4.2) and 0.8/100 py (95%CI 0.5-1.4). Only 23% of all cases of TB were microbiologically confirmed. Multivariate analyses showed that HAART reduced incident TB by approximately 70%, both for confirmed and all TB cases.

Conclusions: In this high TB burden country, the incidence of diagnosis of TB in HIV-infected children is at least as high as that of adults. HAART reduces incident TB, but further prospective TB preventive and diagnostic studies are urgently needed in children.

Publication types

  • Multicenter Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / epidemiology*
  • AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / prevention & control*
  • Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active*
  • CD4 Lymphocyte Count
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Female
  • HIV Infections / drug therapy*
  • HIV Infections / epidemiology
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Male
  • Proportional Hazards Models
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Risk
  • South Africa / epidemiology
  • Tuberculosis / epidemiology*
  • Tuberculosis / prevention & control*