In this randomized controlled trial (RCT) two different, guideline-approved algorithms for antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation in people living with HIV (PLHIV) with presumptive Tuberculosis (TB), but no signs of central nervous system (CNS) disease will be compared. In one arm, same-day initiation (SDI) of ART will be applied (ART first) for all participants independent of the status or results of initial TB investigations. In the other arm, an approach with deferral of ART initiation until TB is excluded or confirmed and TB treatment initiated will be applied (TB results first). The direct comparison of the two approaches in a pragmatic, two-country RCT conducted in a representative high-prevalence setting will provide evidence on the open question of optimal timing of ART initiation in the large subgroup of PLHIV with presumptive TB outside the CNS.~In a laboratory-based sub-study the plasma samples and clinical data collected as part of SaDAPT trial and ART initiation cohort at the study sites in Lesotho are used. The samples are screened for circulating inflammatory markers using proteomics in PLHIV with high risk of active TB and Immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS). The proteome will be deconvoluted using computational biology with the aim to develop diagnostics for active TB disease and predictors for IRIS.
SaDAPT is a pragmatic, randomized, therapeutic-use trial comparing two approaches (ART first versus TB results first) for the timing of ART initiation in PLHIV with presumptive TB, but no signs of central nervous system (CNS) disease, in a routine primary and secondary care setting in southern Africa with regard to HIV viral suppression (VL <400 copies/mL) 26 weeks after enrolment.