Detection of Pneumocystis carinii in induced sputum samples of HIV positive patients.

Pulmonary infections are common in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positive persons. Pneumoystis carinii (PC), now named as pneumocystis jiroveci, is the most frequently encountered pathogen. The study, carried out from June 1999 to May 2005, comprised as many as 1101 HIV positive persons presumed to be suffering from pneumocystis carinii pneumonia. Induced sputum samples were obtained from these patients and stained with Gomori’s methenamine silver stain (GMS), toludine blue stain and Giemsa stain. Of the 1101 samples, PC was detected in 279 (25.34%). Earlier reports from India have reported its prevelance to be 17 to 55%. Males (26.76%) were more than females (20.83%) in positivity. The year wise distribution of patients and PC positivity showed a gradual increase over the years (Table).