Mortality of tuberculosis in very old people.

Objectives: To describe the clinical characteristics and outcomes of tuberculosis (TB) in elderly people.

Design: Observational analysis of a prospective cohort of adults with TB (1995-2004). A case-control study to determine attributable mortality to TB in very old people was done.

Less lipoatrophy and better lipid profile with abacavir as compared to stavudine: 96-week results of a randomized study.

Objective: To assess lipoatrophy, other toxicities, and efficacy associated with abacavir as compared with stavudine in HIV-infected antiretroviral-naive patients.

Methods: This was a prospective, randomized, open trial, stratified by viral load and CD4 cell count, conducted January 2001 to July 2004. Two hundred thirty-seven adult patients with HIV infection initiating antiretroviral therapy were assigned to receive abacavir (n = 115) or stavudine (n = 122), both combined with lamivudine and efavirenz.

Paradoxical response to antituberculous therapy in infliximab-treated patients with disseminated tuberculosis.

Six of 284 patients treated with infliximab developed active tuberculosis. Four (67%) of these patients had a paradoxical response to antituberculous therapy. Physicians should be aware of the increased risk of a paradoxical response in this population and should consider the use of corticosteroids when a paradoxical reaction is suspected.

A randomized clinical trial comparing nelfinavir or nevirapine associated to zidovudine/lamivudine in HIV-infected naive patients (the Combine Study).

Background: Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor-containing regimens may be a valid alternative to protease inhibitor-containing regimens for initial antiretroviral therapy, but to date few studies comparing these two strategies have been performed.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of nelfinavir or nevirapine associated to zidovudine/lamivudine in HIV-infected naive patients.

Design: Randomized, open-label, multicentre trial.