ArticlePloS one2026
Empiric tuberculosis treatment and 12-month mortality among sputum GeneXpert-negative adults living with HIV in Uganda in the era of widespread antiretroviral therapy: A prospective cohort study.
Article in PloS one, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
10 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundIn sub-Saharan Africa where both tuberculosis (TB) and HIV are prevalent, empiric TB treatment in people living with HIV (PLHIV) persists due to limited sensitivity of sputum-based TB tests. We evaluated mortality among molecular test-negative presumptive TB adult PLHIV in a population with widespread antiretroviral therapy (ART) coverage, comparing those empirically treated and not treated for TB. MATERIALS AND
methodsFrom November 2017 to December 2020, Xpert-negative adult PLHIV were recruited at Mulago Referral Hospital and Kisenyi Health Centre-IV in Kampala, Uganda. Clinical data including TB symptoms, chest X-ray, and empiric TB treatment decision were collected. Laboratory investigations included CD4 cell count, serum cryptococcal antigen (CrAg), urine TB-lipoarabinomannan (TB-LAM), microbiological blood cultures, and sputum mycobacterial growth indicator tube (MGIT) cultures. Participants were followed monthly for 12 months to ascertain vital status.
resultsOverall, 300 participants were enrolled; 61.3% inpatients, 55.7% female, median age 37 (IQR 29-45) years, 82.3% on ART, median CD4 206 cells/mm³ (IQR 36-507). Of the 300, 68 (22.7%) received empiric TB treatment, of which 53 (77.9%) were inpatients. 12-month mortality was 31.0% (93/300); 72% within three months post-enrolment. TB cultures were positive in 5.0% (15/300), 12.3% had positive CrAg, and 3.7% had positive blood culture. Empirically treated participants had higher mortality (42.7%) than non-treated (27.6%) although the difference was not statistically significant after adjusting for factors indicative of severe illness (adjusted Mortality Rate Ratio- aMRR 1.05, p = 0.850). Inpatient (aMRR 3.80, p = 0.008) and poor functional status (aMRR 3.5 95%, p = 0.001) were independently associated with 12-month mortality.
conclusionWe found high 12-month mortality among Xpert-negative PLHIV, predominantly inpatients and within three months post-enrolment. Although empiric TB treatment was associated with higher mortality, this association was lost after adjustment for severe illness indicators. Cryptococcal antigenemia and bacteremia were not uncommon, underscoring need for comprehensive evaluations for non-TB conditions alongside empiric TB treatment.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.