Overall 33 of 79 patients (42%) had positive acid-fast smears of expectorated sputum and 6 of 24 (25%) had positive smears of induced sputum, (p=0.21). In the HIV-seropositive group, 42% of the 31 patients for whom expectorated sputum samples were analysed, had positive acid-fast bacilli smears and 24% of the 17 patients from whom induced sputum samples were analysed had positive smears. In the HIV-seronegative group, 42% of the 48 patients who had expectorated sputum samples analysed produced positive acid-fast bacilli smears and 29% of the 7 patients who had induced sputum samples analysed produced positive smears. All results were non-significant.