Abstract: Objective The objective of this study was to find out the clinical characteristics of the pulmonary tuberculosis patients with diabetes mellitus （PTB-DM） and provide the reference frame and the feasible suggestions for their clinical treatment. Methods One hundred and eighty-eight inpatients with pulmonary tuberculosis complicated with diabetes mellitus patients in Qingdao Chest Hospital from December 2011 to June 2013 were recruited as objects in the study. And 188 pulmonary tuberculosis inpatients without diabetes mellitus in the same period were selected as the control group. Between the two groups, we analyzed and compared the clinical manifestation （expectoration, hemoptysis and chest tightness）, the incidences of sputum smear negative conversion and the lung CT （shape and position of lung lesions）. The Chi-square test or the U-test was used to analyze data. And the significance level of alpha is 0.05.  Results At the time of admission to hospital, the incidence of hemoptysis or bloody sputum in PTB-DM patients (32.45%, 61/188) was significantly higher than PTB group (18.62%,35/188) (χ²=9.456, P<0.05). After 2 months of treatment, the proportion of PTB-DM patients with expectoration, hemoptysis and chest tightness were 66.49% (125/188), 5.32% (10/188) and 23.94% (45/188) respectively, which were significantly higher than 51.06% (96/188), 1.60% (3/188) and 14.89% (28/188) in PTB group(χ²=9.231, 3.904, 4.913, all P<0.05). The improvement rate of expectoration and chest tightness in PTB group (36.84%（56/152）,74.07%（80/108）) was better than the PTB-DM group (20.89%（33/158）,56.31%（58/103）) (χ²=9.637, 7.352, all P<0.05). The sputum negative conversion rate of PTB-DM patients was 53.15% (76/143), which was significantly lower than 69.77% (90/129) of PTB group (χ²=8.609,P=0.003). The incidences of cord like high density shadow and calcification in PTM group (34.04%（64/188）,13.83%（26/188）) were higher than those in PTB-DM group (22.87%（43/188）,2.13%（4/188）) (χ²=5.761, 17.532, all P<0.05). The incidences of nodules and cavity in PTB group (7.98%(15/188),45.74%(86/188)) were lower than those in PTB-DM group (14.89%（28/188）,56.38%（106/188）) (χ²=4.438, 4.257, all P<0.05); The incidence of lung lesion that occurred in the back section and lower lobe basal segment was higher in PTB-DM group (74.47%（140/188）,46.28%（87/188）) than that in PTB group (63.30%（119/188）,26.60%（50/188）) (χ²=5.472, 15.721, all P<0.05).  Conclusion Compared with PTB group, the PTB-DM patients’ clinical manifestation are more serious and have less effect after short-term treatment. It is suggested that we should timely adjust and enhance the treatment for the PTB-DM patients and extend the treatment duration suitably.

Key words: Tuberculosis, pulmonary/complications, Diabetes complications, Treatment outcome