Haematological aspects of antiretroviral naïve HIV patients in a Nigerian tertiary hospital: laboratory and clinical considerations.

Abstract

To determine the baseline haematological parameters including CD4+ cell count in naïve HIV patients, which has not been documented in this part of the country, the study group comprised of 191 consecutive antiretroviral (ARV) naïve adults living with HIV and AIDS recruited into the ARV pilot project in University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Nigeria between July and September 2004. They were classified with respect to severity of their disease state in accordance with Center for Diseases Control Clinical Categorization of HIV/AIDS. The patients had CD4+ cell count and haematological indices done to assess disease status and need for ARV therapy. This comprised of 69(36.1%) males and 122 (63.9%) females with a M:F ratio of 1:1.8. The median age at enrollment was 38 years (range, 21 to 75 years). At presentation, there were cytopenias and the males tended to have a slightly higher (195 cells/μl) CD4+ cell count than the females (180 cells/μl) with an overall median CD4+ cell count of 146 cells/μl. The difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.5407). There was a no significant correlation between the lymphocyte count and the CD4+ cell count. This study establishes local standard values for haematological indices including CD4+ cell count in naïve HIV infected Nigerians.

International Journal of Biological & Chemical Sciences Vol. 1 (2) 2007: pp. 176-180