Study of CD4 counts recovery in TB-HIV coinfected patients versus TB uninfected HIV positive patients after (six months) treatment

Objectives There is limited research on the recovery of cluster of differentiation 4 (CD4) counts in patients with both human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and tuberculosis (TB) infections compared to HIV-positive patients without TB following six months of treatment with anti-tuberculosis therapy (ATT) and antiretroviral therapy (ART). This study aims to assess absolute CD4 counts and the percentage of recovery in TB-HIV co-infected patients prior to starting antituberculosis therapy (ATT)+ART, as well as in HIV-positive patients without TB before starting ART. The study will also compare these measurements between the two patient groups after treatment initiation. Material and Methods This prospective observational study involved blood sample collection from 50 HIV-positive patients and 50 HIV-positive patients co-infected with tuberculosis before and after the commencement of treatment. CD4 count was performed by flow cytometry. Data was recorded in a Microsoft Excel sheet. Analysis was performed using SPSS version 21.0. Data are presented as numbers and percentages for categorical variables and as mean ± SD and median for continuous variables. Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was used to check normality of the data; if normality was not maintained for any data, non-parametric tests were carried out. Comparisons between groups were performed using unpaired t-tests or Mann-Whitney tests, whereas paired t-tests or Wilcoxon tests were used for comparisons within group comparisons. Qualitative variables were compared using Chi-square tests or Fisher’s exact tests. Results The CD4 counts were significantly lower for patients who had both HIV and TB than those with HIV only (p<0.001). The mean rise in CD4 levels at six months of therapy was higher in patients with TB-HIV co-infection when compared to patients without TB at six months (p<0.001). Among the participants, 43 HIV-positive patients and 47 TB-HIV co-infected patients demonstrated CD4 recovery. Out of 50 HIV-TB coinfected patients, 2 patients died and 48 survived, whereas all the 50 patients who had HIV alone survived. Conclusion The findings indicate a more significant improvement in CD4 counts among patients with TB-HIV co-infection receiving ATT+ART compared to HIV-only patients on ART. Early detection of tuberculosis in HIV-positive individuals can enhance patient prognosis and reduce mortality rates.