Hematological profile of HIV ART Naive and HIV ART Experienced Individuals at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, North Western Nigeria

Abstract

Nigeria has the second highest number of people living with HIV in the world after South Africa, with many factors contributing to increased rates of the infection in the country such as large population and poverty which prevails in Northern Nigeria. In Nigeria as in other parts of the world, the corner stone for HIV treatment is antiretroviral therapy (ART) and prophylaxis for the prevention of opportunistic infections (OIs). Haematologic complications like anaemia which is already a health burden in poverty endemic areas often lead to disease progression and eventually morbidity and mortality. Determining the hematological profile of HIV infected populace at different treatment stages of the infection could perhaps throw more light on the etiology of the hematological complications seen during the course of the disease in our populace. Blood samples collected from 200 subjects were used for Complete Blood Count and CD T lymphocyte determinations. The mean hemoglobin, Packed Cell Volume and Red Blood Cells concentrations were significantly lower (P≤0.05) in the HIV groups particularly the ART naïve group when compared with the apparently healthy groups. Anemia and neutropenia were the most common hematological abnormalities observed in the study with highest prevalence of anemia found in the ART naive group.