Tuberculosis in HIV Infected Patients in Uganda

This was a clinical trial in HIV infected patients with tuberculosis. The study assessed whether the addition of prednisolone, a type of steroid medication, to the standard treatment for tuberculosis improved immune and viral outcomes in the patients. The study demonstrated that prednisolone increased the CD4 cell count as was hoped, but the beneficial effect was short-lived and was gone within 4 months of stopping therapy. Therefore, the use of prednisolone for tuberculosis in HIV infected patients is not recommended at this time.

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Key information

Conditions

Tuberculosis Actinomycetales Infections Bacterial Infections Bacterial Infections and Mycoses Blood-Borne Infections Communicable Diseases Genital Diseases Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections HIV Infections Immune System Diseases Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes Infections Lentivirus Infections Mycobacterium Infections RNA Virus Infections Retroviridae Infections Sexually Transmitted Diseases Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Viral Urogenital Diseases Virus Diseases

Age range

18 year–60 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Phase 2

Primary location

Mulago Hospital Tuberculosis Clinic

Kampala, Uganda

About this study

Recent observations from retrospective cohort studies indicate that HIV-associated tuberculosis (TB) is associated with reduced survival and increased rate of opportunistic infections compared to CD4-matched controls. Mounting evidence from immunologic and virologic studies supports the concept of co-pathogenesis, in which cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) are over-expressed during the course of TB and stimulate viral replication in latently infected cells, possibly leading to greater viral load.

Glucocorticoids are potent inhibitors of cytokines, including TNF, and clinicians have extensive experiences with their use in HIV infection. Although corticosteroid use in HIV infection has a record of safety, the safety and bioavailability of corticosteroids in HIV/TB coinfection has not been established.

This study evaluated the change in viral load and CD4 count in HIV infected patients with TB who were treated with oral prednisolone. The study found that the viral load increased slightly when prednisolone was administered and that patients receiving prednisolone cleared their tuberculosis more rapidly. Although there was some benefit to using prednisolone in these patients, the benefit was short-lived and was gone within 4 months of stopping therapy.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

Pulmonary TB (smear positive)
HIV infected
Residence within 20 km of Kampala city
Allows frequent blood specimens to be drawn

Treatment and study plan

Prednisolone

Drug

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)

Nih

Registry information

Official study title

Impact of Tuberculosis on HIV Infection in Uganda

Important dates

Study start: 1998
Study completion: 2002
First posted: Apr 3, 2003
Registry last updated: Sep 18, 2007

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.

Completed