Sero-prevalence of HIV antibodies in tuberculosis patients in Ile-Ife, Nigeria

Background: The acquired immunodeficiency syndrome(AIDS) is of major public health concern worldwide more so in sub-Saharan Africa where there is an upsurge in the incidence of the disease. Reports from developed countries have shown that a close link exists between the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and pulmonary tuberculosis. No such study has ever been carried out in Ile-Ife, Nigeria. Objective: The study was designed to determine the prevalence of HIV infection among randomly selected tuberculosis patients seen in a Nigerian chest clinic using third generation ELISA kits that detect HIV-1 and HIV-2 strains. Results: Of the 79 subjects with confirmed active tuberculosis, 12.7% tested positive for HIV antibodies compared with 2.0% of subjects without tuberculosis designated as the control group - a value that is statistically significant (p < 0.05). Farmers, artisans and students contributed a large proportion of the seropositive sera. Although the seroprevalence rate of 12.7% is low compared with the rates from eastern and southern African countries, this value was threefold higher than 5.2% value reported in metropolitan Lagos - suggesting concern about the spread of HIV in a semi-urban centre such as Ile-Ife. Conclusion: This study suggests that a close link exists between active tuberculosis and HIV infection in Ile-Ife, Nigeria which underscores the urgent need to monitor tuberculosis patients as the increase in the rate of new cases may indicate the spread of HIV infection. The study also recommends that an aggressive public awareness programme be undertaken to enlighten communities about the risk of TB/HIV infection.