A SKIN TEST WITH RECOMBINANT ALLERGEN OF MYCOBACTERIUM TUBERCULOSIS (DIASKINTEST®) TO DETECT TUBERCULOSIS IN HIV PATIENTS

Summary .88 HIV-infected patients with tuberculosis of different sites were tested using a skin test with recombinant allergen of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Diaskintest®). The test was positive in 35 cases. In the patients involved in the study, 95 % confidence interval (CI) for the test sensitivity was 30 to 40 %. We found a correlation between peripheral blood CD4+ lymphocyte number and the rate of positive Diaskintest®. The patients with > 400 CD4+ lymphocytes per 1 mL–1 had positive test reactions reliably more often than those with < 200 CD4+ lymphocytes per 1 mL–1. We also established a correlation between tuberculosis extension and the rate of positive Diaskintest®: the proportion of positive test reactions was lower in patients with more extended TB infection. The data obtained justify application of Diaskintest® for tuberculosis detection in HIV-infected patients especially in those with early stages of tuberculosis.