Abstract: Objective: To investigate the diagnostic value of T cells spot test of Tuberculosis infection （TSPOT.TB） in human immunodeficiency virus infection/acquired immuodeficiency syndrome patients with positive Mycobacteria culture. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on 251 HIV infection/AIDS patients with Mycobacteria infection receiving TSPOT.TB test from July 2012 to Dec 2016 in Shanghai Public Health Center affiliated to Fudan University. MPB64 colloidal gold method was taken as the golden standard. The value of TSPOT.TB for diagnosing tuberculosis infection in HIV infection/AIDS patients with positive Mycobacteria culture was analyzed. Patients was divided into groups according the infection site and CD4⁺ T cell count, and the diagnostic value of TSPOT.TB in patients with extra-pulmonary and pulmonary infection and in patients with CD4⁺ T≤200/μL and CD4⁺ T>200/μL was analyzed. Results: Among the 251 HIV infection /AIDS patients with Mycobacteria infection, the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of TSPOT.TB for Tuberculosis were 83.70% and 80.17%. The diagnostic sensitivity of TSPOT.TB in patients with extra-pulmonary and pulmonary Tuberculosis infection were 85.00% and 82.67%, respectively, and there was no statistical difference( χ²=0.133, P=0.715). The specificity of TSPOT.TB in these two groups were 93.10% and 75.86%, respectively, and there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups ( χ²=4.067, P=0.044). In HIV infection/ AIDS patients with CD4⁺ T≤200/μL and CD4⁺ T>200/μL, the diagnostic sensitivity of TSPOT.TB for Tuberculosis was 81.58% and 80.95%, respectively, and there was no statistical difference ( χ²=0.000, P=1.000) between the two groups, yet the specificity of TSPOT.TB were 85.86% and 47.06%, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant ( χ²=11.408, P=0.001). Conclusions: The diagnostic sensitivity of TSPOT.TB for HIV infection/AIDS patients with active Tuberculosis is high, and the infection site and CD4⁺ T cells counts might not be the impact factors of sensitivity of TSPOT.TB, but they can influence the specificity of TSPOT.TB.

Key words: Mycobacterium Tuberculosis, Non-Tuberculousis Mycobacteria, T cells spot test of Tuberculosis infection, Sensitivity, Specificity