Table 1.
Comparison of Baseline Demographics, Clinical Features, and Cerebrospinal Fluid Biochemical and Cellular Parameters According to GeneXpert MTB/RIF Ultra Cycle Threshold Tertile Categories
| Characteristic | Low Tertile (Ct 16.2–20.0) (n = 22) | Intermediate Tertile (Ct 20.1–25.0) (n = 24) | High Tertile (Ct 25.1–32.7) (n = 24) | P Valuea |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baseline demographics | ||||
| Age, y | 32 (29–36) | 34 (32–38) | 31 (28–37) | .26 |
| Sex, female | 10 (46%) | 10 (42%) | 7 (29%) | .49 |
| HIV details | ||||
| HIV positive | 20 (91%) | 23 (96%) | 24 (100%) | .31 |
| Currently on ART | 10 (48%) | 12 (52%) | 13 (54%) | .91 |
| Months on ARTb,c | 9.7 (3.1–22.2) | 2.3 (0.3–7.0) | 1.1 (0.7–3.4) | .18 |
| CD4 countc, cells/μL | 58 (48–73) | 89 (56–210) | 59 (14–117) | .36 |
| Clinical details | ||||
| Focal neurological deficit | 5 (23%) | 4 (17%) | 10 (42%) | .13 |
| Fever | 18 (82%) | 19 (79%) | 20 (83%) | .65 |
| BMRC TBM grade | ||||
| 1 | 2 (10%) | 5 (21%) | 2 (9%) | .46 |
| 2 | 13 (62%) | 16 (67%) | 14 (61%) | |
| 3 | 6 (29%) | 3 (13%) | 7 (30%) | |
| Baseline CSF characteristics | ||||
| Total WBC countc, cells/μL | 80 (4–245) | 35 (4–250) | 35 (4–165) | .50 |
| % lymphocytes | 95 (65–100) | 85 (69–100) | 93 (65–100) | .92 |
| Opening pressurec, mm H2O | 190 (100–270) | 230 (100–290) | 205 (130–300) | .97 |
| Proteinc, mg/dL | 118 (46–208) | 156 (90–316) | 144 (101–200) | .58 |
| Lactatec, mmol/L | 10.6 (9.5–12.0) | 7.6 (6.9–9.5) | 7.4 (4.6–9.8) | .03 |
| Glucosec, mg/dL | 27 (18–33) | 32 (18–70) | 30 (21–60) | .44 |
Data are presented as median (interquartile range) or no. (%).
Abbreviations: ART, antiretroviral therapy; BMRC, British Medical Research Council; CSF, cerebrospinal fluid; Ct, Xpert Ultra polymerase chain reaction cycle threshold; HIV, human immunodeficiency virus; TBM, tuberculous meningitis; WBC, white blood cell.
aKruskal-Wallis for medians; χ 2 test for proportions.
bAmong those on ART at diagnosis.
cIncomplete data: months on ART (n = 29); CD4 cell count (n = 41); total WBC count (n = 65); opening pressure (n = 39); CSF protein (n = 60); CSF lactate (n = 31); CSF glucose (n = 54).