Association between tuberculosis and CD4 T-cells among HIV infected patients attending specialist hospital Sokoto.

Abstract

Patients with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection are predisposed to numerous opportunistic infections due to decreased cell-mediated immunity. Tuberculosis is the most common opportunistic infection seen in HIV patients that contribute significantly to HIV-related morbidity and mortality throughout the world, especially in developing countries like Nigeria. People living with HIV accounted for 10% of the new TB cases reported worldwide.This cross-sectional study investigated the relationship between tuberculosis (TB) and CD4 T-cell counts among newly diagnosed HIV patients in Sokoto, Nigeria. A total of 154 HIV-positive individuals were enrolled, with 35.7% presenting with CD4 counts below 200 cells/μL, indicating severe immunosuppression. Despite the low CD4 levels, only 5.4% of these patients tested positive for TB, suggesting that factors such as prophylactic treatments or healthcare quality might be mitigating TB incidence. The study also revealed that TB was more prevalent among married individuals and those aged 31–60, highlighting specific demographic vulnerabilities. Socioeconomic factors, including limited formal education and occupation types, were significantly associated with low CD4 counts and TB co-infection, especially among the Hausa/Fulani ethnic group. These findings underscore the need for early HIV detection, integrated healthcare services, and targeted public health interventions that address both medical and social determinants of health to reduce TB burden among HIV-positive populations in Sokoto and similar settings.