Evaluation of serum alpha-1-antitrypsin in comparison with CD4+ t cells as marker for HIV infection among HIV patients in Iyi-Enu Mission Hospital, Ogidi, Anambra State

Abstract

This study aims to assess the levels of serum Alpha-1 antitrypsin (A1AT) and CD4⁺ T cells in HIV infected patients in Iyi-Enu Mission Hospital Ogidi, Anambra State of Nigeria. Sixty (60) diagnosed HIV patients (28 males and 32 females) and forty (40) healthy subjects (20 males and 20 females) were used. Serum A1AT was assayed by Turbidimetric method while that of CD4 count was performed by the method of BD FAC Scan flow cytometer. The results showed that the observed low CD4 and serum A1AT in patients with HIV when compared with controls showed that CD4 count of patients with HIV was significantly low (p<0.05) while the serum A1AT level of patients with HIV shows no statistical significant difference (p>0.05) when compared with the control subjects. There is a positive correlation that is associated with serum A1AT concentration and HIV infection which shows that the reduction in serum A1AT concentration leads to an increase in HIV infection. The CD4 count in male patients with HIV was significantly low (p<0.05) while the serum A1AT levelof male patients with HIV infected showed no statistical significant difference (p>0.05) when compared with the female patients with HIV. Female have higher CD4 cell counts than male, whether HIV-infected or not. The results showed no significance statistically (p>0.05) in the sex related distributions and stratified age groups. It was concluded from this study that decreased serum A1AT and low CD4 count, may be a valuable index in the diagnosis and monitoring of patients with HIV.