What is it about?
Tuberculosis-HIV coinfection is a problem among people living with HIV especially in sub-Saharan Africa. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of the duo and the relationship between TB and CD4/ESR in HIV patients in Niger Delta region of Nigeria.
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Why is it important?
This study is important because the impact of the converging dual epidemics of tuberculosis-HIV coinfection is one of the major public health challenges globally. Patients with dual epidemics tend to have high ESR values earlier before the CD4 counts begin to decrease (CD4 lymphopenia). Therefore, we can deduce that ESR rises much earlier before the CD4 counts fall in people with TB-HIV coinfection.
Perspectives
This study highlights the prevalence of tb-hiv coinfection in Niger-delta Nigeria and the burden of the dual epidemics. This study has gone a little further to show that low cost test such as ESR may serve as early indicator of tb-hiv coinfection, hence, a useful test in decision-making on when to start Highly Active Anti-retroviral Therapy (HAART) and Chemotherapy against HIV and tuberculosis respectively. This is because CD4 count decreases slowly and it is not a readily affordable test in the resource-constrained Niger delta region of Nigeria.
Dr Ogbonna Collins Nwabuko
Federal Medical Center, Umuahia.
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Prevalence of Tuberculosis-HIV Coinfection and Relationship between Tuberculosis and CD4/ESR in HIV Patients in Niger Delta Region of Nigeria, IOSR Journal of Dental and Medical Sciences, January 2012, IOSR Journals,
DOI: 10.9790/0853-0240104.
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