Risk of tuberculosis in patients with HIV-I and HIV-II infections in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.

OBJECTIVE To examine the association between HIV-II infection and tuberculosis. DESIGN Cross sectional study comparing the prevalence of HIV-I and HIV-II infections in patients with tuberculosis and in blood donors. SETTING Abidjan, Ivory Coast, west Africa. PATIENTS 2043 consecutive ambulant patients with tuberculosis (confirmed pulmonary, presumed pulmonary, or extrapulmonary) and 2127 volunteer blood donors. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Prevalence of HIV-I and HIV-II infections as assessed by presence of serum antibodies. RESULTS Overall rates of HIV infection were 40.2% in patients with tuberculosis (26.4% positive for HIV-I, 4.7% for HIV-II, and 9.0% for both); and 10.4% in blood donors (7.2% positive for HIV-I, 1.9% for HIV-II, and 1.3% for both). HIV-II infection was significantly more common in patients with all types of tuberculosis than in blood donors (97/2043, 4.7% v 40/2127, 1.9%; odds ratio 3.8%, 95% confidence interval 2.6 to 5.6). CONCLUSION Both HIV-I and HIV-II infections are associated with tuberculosis in Abidjan. 35% of adult tuberculosis in Abidjan is attributable to HIV infection and 4% specifically to HIV-II.