Many physicians delay HAART in patients presenting with TB because of pill burden, drug/drug interactions and toxicity. Although the use of HAART led to significant reductions in viral load, ADI and mortality, co-infected patients commonly experienced AE leading to interruptions in TB/HIV therapy. We therefore recommend starting HAART early for patients with advanced HIV disease (CD4 < 100 x 106 cells/l) and deferring HAART until the continuation phase of TB therapy (i.e. after 2 months) for patients who are clinically stable (CD4 > 100 x 106 cells/l).

Efavirenz was associated with severe VDD, a condition associated with multiple adverse health outcomes, and efavirenz and tenofovir with increased ALP. The clinical significance of these findings requires further investigation, given the widespread use of efavirenz and tenofovir in first-line combination antiretroviral therapy.

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Background-Diarrhoea in AIDS is associated with anorexia and weight loss. The importance of gastrointestinal transit in such symptoms has not been addressed. Aims-To assess jejunal to caecal transit times in subjects with AIDS related diarrhoea and weight loss and correlate these with measures of absorptive capacity and intestinal permeability. Conclusion-Small bowel transit is accelerated in many patients with AIDS, particularily in protozoal diarrhoea, but is not the sole explanation for malabsorption of monosaccharides. (Gut 1999;45:70-76)

The early outcome of liver transplantation in HIV seropositive patients can be good, and patients should not be excluded from transplantation if their liver disease determines their prognosis. More effective antiviral therapy for hepatitis C given posttransplantation, and for hepatitis B reinfection, should improve the longer-term outcome of HIV patients with end-stage liver disease due to hepatitis.

Objectives:To compare rates of all-cause, liver-related, and AIDS-related mortality among individuals who are HIV-monoinfected with those coinfected with HIV and hepatitis B (HBV) and/or hepatitis C (HCV) viruses.Design:An ongoing observational cohort study collating routinely collected clinical data on HIV-positive individuals attending for care at HIV treatment centres throughout the United Kingdom.Methods:Individuals were included if they had been seen for care from 2004 onwards and had tested for HBV and HCV. Crude mortality rates (all cause, liver related, and AIDS related) were calculated among HIV-monoinfected individuals and those coinfected with HIV, HBV, and/or HCV. Poisson regression was used to adjust for confounding factors, identify independent predictors of mortality, and estimate the impact of hepatitis coinfection on mortality in this cohort.Results:Among 25 486 HIV-positive individuals, with a median follow-up 4.5 years, HBV coinfection was significantly associated with increased all-cause and liver-related mortality in multivariable analyses: adjusted rate ratios (ARR) [95% confidence intervals (95% CI)] were 1.60 (1.28–2.00) and 10.42 (5.78–18.80), respectively. HCV coinfection was significantly associated with increased all-cause (ARR 1.43, 95% CI 1.15–1.76) and liver-related mortality (ARR 6.20, 95% CI 3.31–11.60). Neither HBV nor HCV coinfection were associated with increased AIDS-related mortality: ARRs (95% CI) 1.07 (0.63–1.83) and 0.40 (0.20–0.81), respectively.Conclusion:The increased rate of all-cause and liver-related mortality among hepatitis-coinfected individuals in this HIV-positive cohort highlights the need for primary prevention and access to effective hepatitis treatment for HIV-positive individuals.

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