Simultaneous Versus Sequential Antiretroviral Therapy (ARV) Therapy and Mycobacterium Tuberculosis (MTB) Treatment

The purpose of this study is to evaluate and compare the efficacy of immediate antiretroviral therapy versus 2 month deferred anti-Tb therapy upon the clinical course of tuberculosis and HIV infection in patients with AIDS and active tuberculosis.

AIDS and tuberculosis are two international and national priority public health problems. The best time for starting antiretroviral therapy in patients with AIDS and active tuberculosis is not clear, despite of the guidelines regarding CD4+ count. The debate surrounding this issue is mainly due to the difficulty among adherence of anti-MTb and anti-HIV treatment, the pharmacological interaction, the adverse events related to drugs and the risk of inflammatory reconstitution syndrome, especially in patients with advanced HIV infection. Moreover, there is great debate upon the lack of knowledge of the degree of immune reconstitution throughout time against Mtb induced by the anti-HIV therapy.