Background-Tuberculosis is a common complication and leading cause of death in HIV infection. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) lowers the risk of tuberculosis, but may not be sufficient to control HIV-related tuberculosis. Isoniazid preventive therapy (IPT) reduces tuberculosis incidence significantly, but is not widely used.

Little is known about the patient characteristics, social support networks, and relationship factors associated with excellent adherence in resource-limited settings, even though these can be important clues that inform the identification of targets and the approaches of individual- and community-based antiretroviral therapy adherence interventions. In this study, we aimed to understand how patient-selected treatment supports might affect antiretroviral treatment outcomes and to identify key components of support, including the social and material resources necessary for promoting high adherence in South Africa. Data were collected from the proceedings of 2 focus groups with 6 HIV-infected adults each and from 7 in-depth interviews with health care providers in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. The patients and health care workers identified individuals-usually a mother, daughter, sister, brother, or partner-who were confidantes and had moral authority with them. These individuals command respect, and patients allow them to influence health-related decision making, both of which are necessary if they are to be effective treatment supporters. Barriers to adherence identified by study participants include alcohol abuse, stigma related to disclosure of HIV status, and lack of financial resources and food. These are critically important challenges to address if high adherence is to be achieved in this setting. In addition, our results suggest that interventions tailored to treatment supporter characteristics and relationship factors may be effective in influencing patients' antiretroviral therapy adherence.

Background-New therapies are needed to shorten the time required to cure tuberculosis and to treat drug-resistant strains. The fluoroquinolone moxifloxacin is a promising new agent that may have additive activity to existing antituberculosis agents. We conducted a Phase 2 clinical trial to determine the activity and safety of moxifloxacin in the initial stage of tuberculosis treatment.

Summary Background Preventive therapy for tuberculosis among HIV-infected patients is effective but has not been widely implemented in moderate/high-burden settings. Objectives To determine the impact of widespread use of isoniazid preventive therapy on rates of tuberculosis and death in HIV-infected individuals in Brazil. Design Stepped wedge, cluster randomized trial Participants Patients actively enrolled in 29 HIV clinics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Control period Standard of care Intervention period Staff training in tuberculosis screening, performance of tuberculin skin tests and use of isoniazid preventive therapy. Randomization Clinics were randomly allocated a date to begin the intervention period with two clinics beginning the intervention every 2 months starting September 1 2005. Main outcome measures Tuberculosis incidence alone or combined with death in the control versus intervention periods through August 31 2009. Results Among 17,413 patients in the THRio cohort, 12,816 were eligible for the intervention. Overall, there were 475 tuberculosis cases and 838 deaths. The intervention increased the rate of patients receiving skin tests from 19/100 person-years to 59/100 person-years, and from 36/100 person-years to 144/100 person-years for those eligible for isoniazid preventive therapy. In the control period, 221 tuberculosis cases were diagnosed (1·31/100 person-years) compared to 254 (1·10/100 person-years) in the intervention (unadjusted hazard ratio (HR)=0·87;95%CI:0·69–1·10). Rates of tuberculosis incidence or death were 3·64 and 3·04/100 person-years, respectively (HR=0·76; 95%CI:0·66–0·87). When adjusted for age, sex, entry CD4 count and use of antiretroviral therapy, the HR for tuberculosis was 0·73 (95%CI:0·54–0·99) and for tuberculosis or death was 0·69 (95%CI:0·57–0·83). Among 12,196 patients remaining in care (secondary analyses, 399 tuberculosis cases and 656 deaths), the adjusted HR of tuberculosis alone and combined with death were 0·42 (95%CI:0·29–0·60) and 0·45 (95%CI:0·35–0·56), respectively, Conclusions Operational training aimed at increasing tuberculosis screening, provision of tuberculin skin tests and use of isoniazid preventive therapy in Brazilian HIV clinics significantly reduced incident tuberculosis and death. Thus, scale-up of preventive therapy for HIV-infected patients in moderate tuberculosis incident settings is achievable and should be strongly considered in Brazil and elsewhere. Trial registration This trial is registered at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT00107887) Funding Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; National Institutes of Health

Objective The TB/HIV in Rio (THRio) study was launched in September 2005 to assess the impact of integrated tuberculosis (TB) and HIV treatment strategies in 29 HIV clinics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Design THRio is a cluster-randomized trial (CRT) to determine whether routine screening for and treatment of latent TB in HIV clinic patients with access to antiretroviral therapy will reduce TB incidence at the clinic level. THRio is part of the Consortium to Respond Effectively to AIDS/TB Epidemic that is implementing research studies to assess the impact of bold, new public health paradigms for controlling the AIDS/TB epidemic. Methods Twenty-nine public primary HIV clinics were randomly assigned a date to begin implementing TB screening procedures and provision of isoniazid preventive therapy (IPT) for TB/HIV coinfected patients. Final analysis of the CRT is expected in 2011. Results Starting at date of tuberculin skin test (TST)/IPT implementation at each clinic through August 2010, 1670 HIV-infected patients initiated IPT, of which 215 are still receiving treatment. Of the remaining 1455 patients, 1230 (85%) completed therapy and only 20 (1.2%) patients initiating IPT reported adverse reactions leading to discontinuation of therapy. IPT completion was higher among HIV-infected patients receiving HAART (87%) than those not yet receiving HAART (79%, P < 0.01). Times to TST and IPT have markedly decreased postintervention, but remain considerably long. The richness of the THRio database has resulted in several analyses of this expansive cohort of HIV-infected patients that are reviewed here. Conclusions The national implementation of TST and IPT for HIV-positive patients in Brazil has been invigorated partly due to THRio’s baseline results. Expanded use of IPT in HIV patients in Rio de Janeiro is achievable with high adherence and low adverse events, although this effort requires a package of activities including training, advocacy and reorganization of services.

Background-Directly observed therapy (DOT) for antiretroviral therapy (ART) may improve adherence, but there are limited data on its clinical effectiveness.

BackgroundImmune responses to Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigens could serve as surrogate markers of treatment response.MethodsUsing the T-SPOT.TB assay and frozen peripheral blood mononuclear cells, we enumerated ESAT-6- and CFP-10-specific IFN-γ-producing T cells over time in pulmonary TB patients receiving directly observed treatment. T cell responses (measured as "spot forming cells" or "SFCs") were assessed prior to treatment and at 16 and 24 weeks of treatment.Results58 patients were evaluated, of whom 57 were HIV seronegative. Mean (SD) ESAT-6, CFP-10, and summed RD1 specific SFCs declined from 42.7 (72.7), 41.2 (66.4), and 83.8 (105.7) at baseline to 23.3 (39.4, p = 0.01), 23.2 (29.4, p = 0.18), and 46.5 (59.5, p = 0.02) at completion of 24 weeks of treatment, respectively. Only 10% of individuals with a baseline reactive test reverted to negative at treatment week 24. For the group that was culture positive at completion of 8 weeks of treatment compared to the culture negative group, the incidence rate ratio (IRR) of ESAT-6, CFP-10, and summed RD1 specific SFC counts were, respectively, 2.23 (p = 0.048), 1.51 (p = 0.20), and 1.83 (p = 0.047). Patients with cavitary disease had mean ESAT-6 specific SFC counts that were higher than those without cavitary disease (IRR 2.08, p = 0.034).ConclusionIFN-γ-producing RD1-specific T cells, as measured in the T-SPOT.TB assay, may be directly related to bacterial load in patients undergoing treatment for pulmonary TB. However, high inter-subject variability in quantitative results coupled with failure of reversion to negative of qualitative results in most subjects at treatment completion may limit the utility of this assay as a surrogate marker for treatment efficacy.

This study aimed to characterize the experience of having a treatment supporter among HIV-infected South African patients enrolled in a randomized controlled trial that compared the efficacy of patient-nominated treatment supporters administering partial directly observed antiretroviral therapy (DOT-ART) versus selfadministered ART (Self-ART). Results of the parent study showed no virologic or sustained immunologic differences between groups, but revealed a significant survival benefit among the DOT-ART group. One hypothesis is that this survival benefit may be explained by differences in the training and involvement of the treatment supporters between groups. In the current study, results from a semi-structured exit interview of 172 participants indicate that most participants in both arms maintained a positive, satisfying relationship with a single supporter, typically family member or friend. Most patients (82.6%) perceived supporters as helpful with medication adherence, with no significant difference between groups ( p = 0.752). Additionally, supporters provided emotional, instrumental, and material support. DOT-ART patients were more likely than Self-ART patients to report that their supporter helped to decrease drug or alcohol use (p = 0.03). Patients identified supporter trustworthiness, availability, good communication and reciprocity of support as factors beneficial to a successful relationship. These results suggest: (1) Patient-nominated peers are feasible candidates for ART supporters in this resource-constrained setting; (2) In addition to assistance with medications, treatment supporters have the capacity to promote healthy behaviors and provide other types of support, which may contribute to improved outcomes, particularly with enhanced training; (3) Trustworthiness, availability, good communication, and reciprocity are key factors in a successful patient-supporter relationship.