Since the emergence of AIDS, tuberculosis and HIV infection have been intimately connected. The immunodepression resulting from HIV infection increases the risk of tuberculosis progression in co-infected individuals and tuberculosis accelerates the course of HIV infection.1 In spite of new and effective anti-retroviral therapy, tuberculosis remains a major problem in HIV infected patients. In developing countries protease inhibitors containing anti-retroviral therapy are seldom used and tuberculosis remains the most common life threatening HIV related infection. A major goal in such a setting is to prevent and cure tuberculosis in HIV infected patients.2In developed countries protease inhibitors containing anti-retroviral therapy decrease the incidence of tuberculosis which, however, reveals HIV infection in some cases.3 In these countries the best strategy for treating tuberculosis and HIV infection together remains to be defined.

This editorial reviews the past, present, and future interactions between HIV infection and tuberculosis, focusing on their respective natural histories and treatments.