Table 3.
Characteristics of HIV-positive patients (n=524) with and without a history of injecting drug use (IDU) who were tested for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI)a
| With history of IDU (n=312) | Without history of IDU (n=212) | p | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age, years (IQR) | 33 (30–35) | 31 (28–36) | 0.001 |
| Male | 91.3 (285/312) | 31.1 (66/212) | <0.001 |
| Married | 56.1 (175/312) | 55.7 (118/212) | 0.923 |
| Oral thrush | 3.6 (11/209) | 1.9 (4/210) | 0.269 |
| Median BMI, kg/m2 (IQR) | 20.8 (19.2–22.7) | 21.4 (19.0–23.4) | 0.225 |
| Median CD4 cells, cells/µl (IQR) | 373 (269–522) | 377 (263–510) | 0.588 |
| Median haemoglobin, g/dl (IQR) | 14.4 (13.3–15.3) | 12.9 (11.7–14.0) | <0.001 |
| Median time on ART, months (IQR) | 49 (34–73) | 31 (18–48) | <0.001 |
| Tuberculosis-related characteristicsa | |||
| IGRA positiveb | 28.5 (88/309) | 30.3 (63/208) | 0.657 |
| BCG vaccinationc | 75.2 (233/310) | 78.1 (164/210) | 0.440 |
| Current smoking | 87.8 (274/312) | 34.6 (73/211) | <0.001 |
| History of tuberculosis treatment | 46.9 (144/307) | 31.4 (66/144) | <0.001 |
| Exposed to tuberculosis in household | 9.8 (20/305) | 30.0 (61/203) | <0.001 |
| Exposed to tuberculosis outside household | 33.2 (80/241) | 25.8 (41/159) | 0.114 |
Unless stated otherwise, data are given as percentage (numerator/denominators). Data were missing for CD4 cell count (5 with and 0 without IDU), haemoglobin (18 with and 17 without IDU) and BMI (5 with and 3 without IDU)
IGRA positive: interferon-gamma release assay (Quantiferon Gold In-Tube) was used to determine latent tuberculosis infection. Individuals were classified as positive when tuberculosis antigen minus the nil control was higher than 0.35 IU/ml and over 25% of the nil control
BCG vaccination was based on visual confirmation by a physician or self-reported in case visual confirmation was indeterminate. IDU, injecting drug use; IQR, interquartile range; BMI, body mass index; ART, antiretroviral treatment; IGRA, interferon-gamma release assay.