title: Relation between some haematological abnormalities, degree of immunosuppression and viral load in treatment-naïve 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-naïve 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-naïve 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 immunosuppression and clinical AIDS status. No relationship was observed between cytopenia and viral load.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria.
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Denue
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gashau
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Bello
authors.forename: I M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Kida
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bakki
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ajayi
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000740:Anemia / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D006402:Hematologic Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007970:Leukopenia / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013921:Thrombocytopenia / Q000453:epidemiology; D019562:Viral Load; D055815:Young Adult