Association of immune status with haematology and inflammatory markers in treatment naïve HIV positive patients from a tertiary health care institute e HIV Positive Patients from a Tertiary Health Care Institute

Immune Status in Treatment Naïve HIV Positive Patients

Abstract

High and low serum ferritin level in HIV patients is associated with the progression of disease with lowering of CD4 cell count in both adults and children. Elevated C-Reactive protein (CRP) has been a better predictor of child mortality and maternal disease progression to Acquired immuno deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Data related to ferritin, CRP together with anaemia and immune status in early stage of ART naïve HIV infection is scarce. Here, we evaluated haematological parameters, inflammatory markers like serum ferritin, CRP level and their association with immune status in Antiretroviral therapy (ART) naïve HIV positive cases. After obtaining written consent, 55 screening test (Meriscreen) positive & HIV-TRIDOT confirmed, antiretroviral treatment naïve patients above 18 years from both gender were included in the study. Serum ferritin, CRP and other haematological parameters were analysed along with CD4 and CD8 count. Anaemia found prominent in group having CD4 count less than 200 cells/μL with a significant fall in Hb%. Inflammatory parameters ferritin and CRP analyzed with respect to CD4 cells documented reverse phenomena in these cases. Significant inverse relation of ferritin with Hb%, total WBC and absolute lymphocyte count points towards concurrent presence of anaemia and leukopenia with inflammation in HIV cases. The results suggest that inflammatory markers like ferritin induced by cytokines may be considered as an auxiliary parameter for assessing disease severity in HIV positive cases at time of diagnosis for early therapeutic intervention.