Mycobacterium tuberculosis/HIV-1 coinfection and disease: role of human leukocyte antigen variation.

Genetic variation influences immune responses and may contribute to differential development of tuberculosis (TB), particularly in immunosuppressed individuals. To examine the risk of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection progressing to disease in the context of M. tuberculosis/human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1 coinfection, HIV-1 RNA load and human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genotypes were determined among subjects from Harare, Zimbabwe, an area where both TB and HIV-1 are endemic.