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No increased prevalence of adrenocortical insufficiency in human immunodeficiency virus-associated tuberculosis
M P Hawken1, J C Ojoo, J S Morris
1Clinical Research Centre, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya.
Setting:
Acute medical wards, Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya.
Objective:
To determine the prevalence of adrenocortical insufficiency in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 infected and non-infected patients with tuberculosis.
Design:
One hundred and seventy-four patients with proven tuberculosis (90 HIV-1 positive and 84 HIV-1 negative) were assessed for adrenocortical insufficiency with a 30 min synacthen stimulation test.
Results:
Fifty-one percent of those with pulmonary tuberculosis and 56% of those with extra-pulmonary tuberculosis had a subnormal cortisol response. However there was no statistically significant difference between the HIV-1 infected and non-infected patients in either group.
Conclusion:
While an impaired cortisol response is common in tuberculosis, it is no more prevalent in HIV-1 infected patients than non-infected patients with tuberculosis.