Expanding Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra® and LF-LAM testing for diagnosis of tuberculosis among HIV-positive adults admitted to hospitals in Tanzania and Mozambique: a randomized controlled trial (the EXULTANT trial).

Introduction: Tuberculosis (TB) is an important cause of morbidity and mortality among people living with HIV (PLHIV). Current WHO-recommended strategies for diagnosing TB among hospitalized PLHIV rely on symptom screening and disease severity to assess eligibility for urine lipoarabinomannan lateral flow (LF-LAM) and molecular testing. Despite these recommendations, autopsy studies show a large burden of undiagnosed TB among admitted PLHIV.

Diagnostic Yield of Urine Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra in Adults With Suspected Extrapulmonary Tuberculosis.

We assessed the diagnostic yield of urine GeneXpert MTB/RIF Ultra and factors associated with a positive test among adult patients suspected to have extrapulmonary tuberculosis. Urine Ultra was positive in 14% of participants with definite or probable tuberculosis. Hospitalization, disseminated tuberculosis, and human immunodeficiency virus infection were associated with a positive result.

Improving anaemia diagnosis using peripheral blood smear with remote interpretation in adults living with HIV with moderate to severe anaemia: A prospective study nested within the Kilombero and Ulanga antiretroviral cohort.

Introduction: In low-resource settings, anaemia is a very common condition. Identification of anaemia aetiologies remains challenging due to the lack of diagnostic tools and expertise. We aimed to improve anaemia diagnostics using peripheral blood smear (PBS) with remote interpretation in people living with HIV (PLHIV) with moderate to severe anaemia.

Transitioning to Dolutegravir in a Programmatic Setting: Virological Outcomes and Associated Factors Among Treatment-Naive Patients With HIV-1 in the Kilombero and Ulanga Antiretroviral Cohort in Rural Tanzania.

Background: Virological outcome data after programmatic transition from non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI)-based to dolutegravir (DTG)-based antiretroviral therapy (ART) regimens in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) outside of clinical trials are scarce. We compared viral suppression and associated factors in treatment-naïve people living with HIV (PLHIV) starting DTG- based versus NNRTI-based ART.

Methods: We compared virological suppression at 12 months, after treatment initiation in the two cohorts of participants aged ≥15 years, initiating DTG- and NNRTI-based ART.