The risk of tuberculosis incidence among HIV-infected individuals was 2.12 times more likely for those who had less than 200 cells/mm3 at baseline than greater CD4 cell count (HR 2.12; 95%CI 1.31, 3.43; I2 (test) = 90.8% (p < 0.001); publication bias: β (p value) = − 3.16 (0.57)). This evidence concerns the gene CD4 and tuberculosis.