Haematologic features of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in adult Zimbabweans.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the haematologic features of the HIV infection in adult Zimbabweans and compare the features in the different clinical stages of the disease.


METHODS
Descriptive cross sectional study.


METHODS
Parirenyatwa Hospital, a tertiary and referral medical centre in Harare, and the blood donor clinics of the Blood Transfusion Service in Harare.


METHODS
Patients attending HIV outpatients clinics or receiving inpatient care at Parirenyatwa Hospital and asymptomatic persons donating blood at the BTS Harare.


METHODS
Full blood counts and bone marrow cell counts and morphology.


RESULTS
Blood cytopenia was found in 47.5% of adults with HIV infection. The most frequent abnormalities were lymphopenia (31.5%); anaemia (30.8%); neutropenia (29.6%); thrombocytopenia (24.7%); eosinophilia (23.5%) and leucopenia (11.7%). Frequency of anaemia in the AIDS and symptomatic groups (43.4% and 24.5% respectively) was greater than in the carriers (6.7%), while the frequency of other cytopenias and of eosinophilia was about the same in all groups. There was also a general lack of association between the severity of haematologic abnormalities and the clinical stage of the disease.


CONCLUSIONS
Severe haematologic changes occur frequently in HIV infection and AIDS but routine full blood count may not be helpful in the monitoring of the disease or the prediction of onset of AIDS.
Adewuyi
J O
JO
Department of Haematology, University of Zimbabwe Medical School, Harare.
Coutts
A M
AM
Latif
A S
AS
Smith
H
H
Abayomi
A E
AE
Moyo
A A
AA
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001772:Blood Cell Count; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000473:pathology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D006402:Hematologic Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015030:Zimbabwe / Q000453:epidemiology
D007136:Immunoglobulins