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Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine Faculty Publications
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Full-Text Articles in Medicine and Health Sciences
Blood Neutrophil Counts In Hiv-Infected Patients With Pulmonary Tuberculosis: Association With Sputum Mycobacterial Load, Andrew D. Kerkhoff, Robin Y. Wood, David M. Lowe, Monica Vogt, Stephen D. Lawn
Blood Neutrophil Counts In Hiv-Infected Patients With Pulmonary Tuberculosis: Association With Sputum Mycobacterial Load, Andrew D. Kerkhoff, Robin Y. Wood, David M. Lowe, Monica Vogt, Stephen D. Lawn
Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine Faculty Publications
Background
Increasing evidence suggests that neutrophils play a role in the host response toMycobacterium tuberculosis. We determined whether neutrophil counts in peripheral blood are associated with tuberculosis (TB) and with mycobacterial load in sputum in HIV-infected patients.
Methodology/Principal Findings
Adults enrolling in an antiretroviral treatment (ART) clinic in a Cape Town township were screened for TB regardless of symptoms. Paired sputum samples were examined using liquid culture, fluorescence microscopy, and the Xpert MTB/RIF assay. Absolute neutrophil counts (ANC) were measured in blood samples. Of 602 HIV-infected patients screened, 523 produced one or more sputum samples and had complete …