Smoking cessation dramatically reduces the risk of bacterial pneumonia, whatever the level of immunodeficiency.
This study aimed at estimating the effect of tobacco smoking withdrawal on the risk of bacterial pneumonia among HIV-infected individuals in the era of cART, and its variation according to the level of immunodeficiency.
In our study, the nadir CD4 T-cell count best reflects the level of immunodeficiency reached by the women since at cohort enrollment 27% of the women were already receiving HAART for more than 2 months.
Our result linking the level of immunodeficiency reached by the women in her lifetime with CIN2+ prevalence is consistent with the role of the immune response in controlling HPV infection and consequently CIN progression.
Even in seemingly normal hosts, some level of immunodeficiency or preexistent pulmonary disease probably exists [ 38].
Still, the immunological reconstitution after HAART initiation varies depending on the pre-HAART level of immunodeficiency [ 2- 7].
In contrast to other HIV-associated opportunistic infections, TB can occur in HIV-infected patients at any level of immunodeficiency, regardless of CD4+ T cell counts.
This finding is not surprising since the risk of persons with HIV developing tuberculosis significantly increases, parallel to their increasing level of immunodeficiency [ 29].
In contrast to TST, sensitivity of T-SPOT.TB was independent of the level of immunodeficiency, although a trend towards higher number of spot forming units with increasing CD4 cell count was observed in patients with a positive T-SPOT.TB.
Nevertheless, these data are consistent with consideration of TB as an indicator of a level of immunodeficiency for which initiation or change of ART is indicated in the absence of CD4 count.
