LIMITED ELEVATIONS IN ANTITUBERCULOSIS DRUG-INDUCED SERUM ALANINE AMINOTRANSFERASE (ALT) LEVELS IN A COHORT OF NIGERIANS ON TREATMENT FOR PULMONARY TUBERCULOSIS AND HIV INFECTION IN YENAGOA

BACKGROUND: This study, undertaken in a major tertiary hospital in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria was designed to examine the incidence of elevation in serum alanine aminotransference (ALT) in our patients who were on treatment for HIV/AIDS with some of them on antituberculosis drugs.

METHOD: Between January and December 2014, all admission records which include HIV status, Acid fast bacilli Status, Chest radiograph, CD4 cell count, degree of hepatotoxicity during antituberculosis drugs treatment according to WHO definition using clinical findings and ALT levels at baseline (ALTI) and at 4 weeks into treatment with antituberculosis drugs (ALT2) of all the patients on HAART with some on antituberculosis drugs were retrieved and retrospectively analyzed.

RESULTS: Of the total of 707 patients on HAART, 80 were on both HAART and anti-tuberculosis treatment.There was a statistically significant correlation between ALT I levels in the PTB negative and PTB positive cohort at baseline χ2 10.725,d.f4,P = 0.030. After 4 weeks of antituberculosis treatment and HAART ALT2 level in expectedly, generally showed downward trend with no statistically significant correlation between PTB status and ALT2 (χ2 = 0.789, d.f2.P = 0.674) CONCLUSION: Anti-tuberculosis drug induced elevation in alanine amino transference is unexpectedly low in our patients on treatment for pulmonary tuberculosis and HIV infection. This is a key finding that requires further studies.