Relation between some haematological abnormalities, degree of immunosuppression and viral load in treatment-na‹ve HIV-infected patients

ABSTRACT

This cross-sectional study at a teaching hospital in north-eastern Nigeria estimated the prevalence of anaemia, leukopenia and thrombocytopenia in treatment-naive HIV-infected patients [177 males and 316 females], and the associations with virological and immunological markers. The overall prevalences of anaemia, leukopenia and thrombocytopenia were 49.5%, 5.5% and 4.5% respectively. The prevalence of anaemia was significantly higher in males than females [61.6% versus 42.7%], while the rates of leukopenia [5.1% versus 5.7%] and thrombocytopenia [5.7% versus 3.8%] were similar. Almost two-thirds of the HIV treatment-naive studied patients, 293/493 [59.4%], had cytopenia and would require antiretroviral drugs. AIDS was diagnosed by clinical or immunological criteria in 70% of patients. The degree of cytopenia was directly related to the degree of immunosuppresslon and clinical AIDS status. No relationship was observed between cytopenia and viral load