Quantitative real-time PCR (q-PCR) for sputum smear diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis among people with HIV/AIDS.

Objective: To assess quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (q-PCR) for the sputum smear diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) in patients living with HIV/AIDS with a clinical suspicion of PTB.

Method: This is a prospective study to assess the accuracy of a diagnostic test, conducted on 140 sputum specimens from 140 patients living with HIV/AIDS with a clinical suspicion of PTB, attended at two referral hospitals for people living with HIV/AIDS in the city of Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil. A Löwenstein-Jensen medium culture and 7H9 broth were used as gold standard.

Chest radiographic findings in patients with HIV/AIDS and pulmonary tuberculosis.

The study describes the main chest radiographic changes in people living with HIV/AIDS and pulmonary tuberculosis, confirmed by sputum culture. This was a descriptive study involving a total of 42 sputum tests from 42 people living with HIV/AIDS and a clinical suspicion of pulmonary tuberculosis. All patients attended two referral hospitals in Recife-PE, Brazil, between August 2009 and January 2012.