Clinical Characteristics and Treatment Outcomes of HIV+ and HIV- Tuberculosis Patients Followed and Treated at the Regional Hospital of Oyem, Northern Gabon: A Two-Year Retrospective Study
Cédric Sima Obiang
Biochemistry Research Laboratory (LAREBIO), University of Science and Technology of Masuku (USTM), Franceville, Gabon.
Thiéry Ndong Mba *
Biochemistry Research Laboratory (LAREBIO), University of Science and Technology of Masuku (USTM), Franceville, Gabon and Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology (LABMC), Masuku University of Science and Technology (USTM), Franceville, Gabon.
Hilaire Kenguele Moundounga
Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology (LABMC), Masuku University of Science and Technology (USTM), Franceville, Gabon.
Pelche Bertrand Owono Mezui
Medical Analysis Laboratory of the Oyem Regional Hospital and the Oyem Outpatient Treatment Centre, Gabon.
Arnaud Brice Pambo–Pambo
Laboratory of Chemistry of Natural Substances, Department of Fundamental Engineering Sciences (INSAB), Masuku University of Science and Technology (USTM), Franceville, Gabon.
Joseph Privat Ondo
Biochemistry Research Laboratory (LAREBIO), University of Science and Technology of Masuku (USTM), Franceville, Gabon.
Louis-Clément Obame Engonga
Biochemistry Research Laboratory (LAREBIO), University of Science and Technology of Masuku (USTM), Franceville, Gabon.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Background: The objective of this study was to analyse the clinical characteristics of HIV+ and HIV- tuberculosis patients followed and treated at the Oyem Regional Hospital Centre (ORHC).
Materials and Methods: During this study conducted between January 2019 and December 2021, data collection was based on the exploitation of medical records and registers of results from the medical analysis laboratory of the regional hospital of Oyem, in which there were personal data (gender and age) of the patients, the status of HIV infection, clinical characteristics (pulmonary or extra pulmonary TB), and finally, the therapeutic outcomes of the patients after anti-tuberculosis and antiretroviral treatment. Binomial test following the Normal distribution was used to find an association between the percentages of extrapulmonary TB and TB+/HIV+ co-infection.
Results: In this study, 128 confirmed TB cases were selected. While 54 (42.19%) were co-infected with TB+/HIV+, 74 patients (57.81%) were monoinfected with TB+/HIV+. Among all these patients, 93 (72.66%) were reported to have extra pulmonary TB and 35 (27.34%) had pulmonary TB. A normal binomial test showed that TB+/HIV+ co-infection was significantly associated with extrapulmonary TB (p=0.04). Patients were put on anti-tuberculosis treatment according to the manufacturers' indications. Despite a total of 15 deaths (8.93%) in both mono- and co-infected patients, there was a favourable outcome, with 35 patients (27.34%) declared cured. With 8 deaths, mortality was higher in the co-infected than in the non-HIV infected TB patients who recorded 7 deaths.
Conclusion: By indicating a relatively high prevalence of HIV infection in TB patients, this study showed that TB+/HIV+ co-infection was associated with extra pulmonary TB, the severe form of the disease, and increased mortality in patients, hence the need to strengthen joint activities to control this co-infection.
Keywords: Infection, co-infection, TB, HIV, Oyem, Northern Gabon