ABSTRACT
Tuberculosis [TB] is the most common opportunistic infection and leading cause of death in persons infected with human immunodeficiency virus [HIV] worldwide. HIV pandemic is one of the greatest challenges facing TB control program. Immune suppression by HIV- infection increases the risk of reactivation of latent TB infection and rapid progression of either recent or latent TB infection to active TB disease. Multidrug resistant- TB [MDR -TB] has been associated with inadequate and poor adherence to treatment regimens, poorly managed TB- control programs, as well as HIV- infection. Comparing the anti- tuberculous drug resistance patterns of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex [MBTC] isolates from HIV-seropositive and HIV- seronegative TB patients attending King Abdulaziz University Hospital [KAAU], Jeddah, KSA, from January 2011 till January 2013. A total of [132] TB patients were included, they were divided into 31[23.48%] patients with HIV- infection [51.60% males and 48.40% females]and 101[76.52%] patients without HIV- infection [40.60% males and 59.40% females]
All resistance detected in our study was primary resistance except one case with secondary resistance. Our results showed that, the percentage of any resistance to rifampicin was higher in TB patients with HIV- infection than those without HIV- infection [19.4% vs 3%] with high significant difference. While the percentage of any resistance to streptomycin was higher in TB patients with HIV- infection than those without HIV-infection [9.7% vs 0.0%] with significant difference. The percentage of monoresistance to rifampicin was higher in TB patients with HIV- infection than those without HIV- infection [9.7% vs 2%] with significant difference. The percentage of one drug resistance was higher in TB patients with HIV-infection than those without HIV- infection [19.4% vs 3%] with high significant difference. Moreover, the percentage of MDR -TB [resistance to rifampcin and isoniazid] was higher in TB patients with HIV- infection than those without HIV- infection [9.7% vs 2%] with significant difference. Also, there was one patient [3.2%] had 4 drug resistance and also one patient [3.2%] had 5 drug resistance in TB patients with HIV-infection
Conclusion: Our study showed significant associations between any resistance to rifampicin and streptomycin, monoresistance to rifampcin and MDR strains with HIV- seropositive than HIV-seronegative TB patients
Recommendations: HIV testing of TB patients and susceptibility testing ofM. tuberculosis isolates from HIV- infected patients should be routinely done for early detection of resistant strains