Table 1.
Baseline Characteristics of the Cryptococcal Antigen (CrAg)–positive and CrAg-negative Patients
| Characteristic | CrAg-positive (n = 67) |
CrAg-negative (n = 134) |
P Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, median (IQR), y | 39 (32–47) | 39 (33–48) | .63a |
| Female (%) | 37 (55) | 62 (46) | .23 |
| Self-assigned black race (%) | 66 (99) | 128 (96) | .4 |
| Born outside of South Africab (%) | 28 (42) | 33 (25) | .01 |
| Non–Southern Africa Development Community (%) | 3 (5) | 3 (2) | .4 |
| CD4 T-lymphocyte count cells/µL (median, IQR) | 27 (7–40) | 41 (16–64) | .002a |
| <50 (%) | 55 (82) | 80 (60) | .001 |
| Body mass index <18 kg/m2 (%)c | 9 (20) | 20(18) | 1.0d |
| Hemoglobin ≤8 g/dL (%)e | 5 (9) | 13 (11) | .8d |
| C-reactive protein, mg/L (median, IQR)f | 15 (3–49) | 22 (4–56) | .4 |
| Active TB at enrollmentg (%) | 19 (28) | 33 (25) | .6 |
| Previous TBh (%) | 11 (16) | 14 (10) | .3d |
| Other previous or current ADI (%) | 11 (16) | 20 (15) | .8d |
| Histoplasmosisi | 3 (5) | 3 (2) | .4d |
| Other (non-ADI) medical conditions (%) | 30 (45) | 57 (43) | .8 |
| Infectious disease (%) | 18 (27) | 39 (29) | .7 |
| Hepatitis Bj | 6 (17) | 11 (13) | .6d |
| Immunocompromising (%) | 2 (3) | 4 (3) | 1.0d |
| Taking antiretroviral therapy (>1 day) (%) | 16 (24) | 13 (10) | .01d |
| Taking co-trimoxazole (%) | 37 (55) | 32 (24) | <.001 |
| Taking other antibiotics (%) | 22 (33) | 37 (28) | .4 |
Pearson χ2 test used unless indicated.
Abbreviations: ADI, AIDS-defining illness; CrAg, cryptococcal antigen; IQR, interquartile range; TB, tuberculosis.
aMann-Whitney U test.
bData missing on birthplace for 1 patient.
cData missing on BMI for 20 CrAg-positive and 23 CrAg-negative patients.
dFisher exact test.
eData missing on hemoglobin for 12 CrAg-positive and 15 CrAg-negative patients.
fData missing on C-reactive protein for 5 CrAg-positive and 5 CrAg-negative patients.
gActive TB includes those diagnosed with TB within the past 6 months and/or on current TB treatment at enrollment (CrAg-positive, n = 12, 18%; CrAg-negative, n = 13, 10%), including those diagnosed on the day of enrollment (CrAg-positive, n = 7, 10%; CrAg-negative, n = 20, 15%). Diagnoses of TB were made clinically or on the basis of routine laboratory tests, or screening performed as part of the study.
hPrevious TB includes those who were diagnosed more than 6 months prior to enrollment and who do not remain on TB treatment.
iData missing on histoplasmosis screening (urine enzyme immunoassay for 1 CrAg-positive and 7 CrAg-negative patients;
jData missing on hepatitis B for 32 CrAg-positive and 50 CrAg-negative patients.