%0 Journal Article
%T HIV-1 RNA Viral Load, CD4 Count and Some Haematological Parameters of People Living with HIV in the Enugu Metropolis
%A Izuchukwu Ibeagha
%A Evelyn Ada Kyrian-Ogbonna
%A Felix Emelike
%A Ekene Ibeagha
%A Emmanuel Enyi
%A Theresa Osarunwese Ifeyinwa Onochie-Igbinedion
%A Harrison Abone
%A Dorothy Ezeagwuna
%A Chinwe Chukwuka
%A Moses Ikegbunam
%J World Journal of AIDS
%P 57-69
%@ 2160-8822
%D 2023
%I Scientific Research Publishing
%R 10.4236/wja.2023.132006
%X <strong>Background: </strong>It is widely known that the human immune-deficiency virus (HIV) induces biochemical and physiological changes in affected persons. Consequently, the overall aim of this study was to evaluate the HIV-1 RNA viral load, CD4 count, and certain haematological parameters among HIV treatment-na<span style=\"white-space:nowrap;\">?</span>ve subjects in the Enugu metropolis of Nigeria. <strong>Materials and Methods: </strong>A total of 252 HIV-infected, ART-native subjects (¡Ý18) attending the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) in Ituku-Ozalla, Enugu were recruited for this study and were made up of 157 (62.3%) females and 95 (37.7%) males. A total of 250 HIV-negative subjects were used as control subjects (100 males and 150 females). Blood samples were collected from all the participants and their HIV-1 status was confirmed by an immunoblot confirmatory test. Their haematological parameters and CD4 count were evaluated, while the HIV-1 viral load was only assessed on confirmed HIV-positive subjects. <strong>Results: </strong>There was female predominance (62.3%) among these HIV-positive subjects. The mean age of HIV-positive subjects was 39.16 ¡À 10.08 years while the mean age of the control subjects was 34.8 ¡À 8.6 years. The age group of 31 - 40 years (102/252 (40.5%)) constituted most of the test subjects. The total white blood cells (TWBC) (6.05 ¡À 5.46), lymphocyte counts (36 ¡À 14), haemoglobin concentrations (Hb) (9.85 ¡À 7.36) and the CD4 counts (242 ¡À 228) of the HIV-infected subjects showed a significant difference when compared with their control counterpart values of TWBC (4.5 ¡À 0.568), lymphocytes (39.67 ¡À 8.2), Hb (13.48 ¡À 1.5), and CD4 counts (807 ¡À 249) (p &lt; 0.05). The platelet count (241 ¡À 103) and the neutrophil count (53.38 ¡À 15) of the infected subjects, when compared with the control subjects, showed no significant difference (p &gt; 0.05). Anaemia, lymphocytopenia, and thrombocytopenia were the haematological abnormalities seen in the HIV-positive subjects. HIV viral load correlated with haemoglobin concentration, CD4 count, lymphocyte count, and neutrophil count (p &lt; 0.05). Moreover, the age of the test subjects also correlated with their CD4 counts (p &lt; 0.05). <strong>Conclusion:</strong> Prognostic factors, such as haemoglobin concentrations, CD4 counts, lymphocyte counts, and neutrophil counts can be used to monitor patients¡¯ viral loads since they correlate with the latter; furthermore, age is a factor that should be considered in the management of HIV-positive patients.
%K HIV-1 RNA
%K CD4 Count
%K Haematological Parameters
%U http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=125445