title: Prevalence of Vitamin B12and folic acid deficiency in HIV-positive patients and its association with neuropsychiatric symptoms and immunological response.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Deficiency of micronutrients is prevalent even before the development of symptoms of HIV disease and is associated with accelerated HIV disease progression.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study evaluates the prevalence of folate and Vitamin B12deficiency in HIV-positive patients with or without tuberculosis (TB) and its association with neuropsychiatric symptoms and immunological response.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional, observational study in an outpatient setting.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four groups of HIV-positive patients with TB (Group I), HIV-positive patients with neuropsychiatric symptoms (Group II), HIV-positive patients without neuropsychiatric symptoms or TB (Group III), and HIV-negative controls with neuropsychiatric symptoms (Group IV). Vitamin B12and folate estimation was done using carbonyl metallo-immunoassay method.
  
  
  METHODS
  ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney, Pearson's correlation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of folic acid deficiency was 27.1% in the Group I, 31.9% in the Group II, 23.4% in the Group III, and 32% in the Group IV being higher in patients with neuropsychiatric symptoms in both HIV and non-HIV patients. The prevalence of Vitamin B12deficiency was 18.8% in Group I, 9.1% in Group II, 4.8% in Group III, and 16.7% in Group IV. The patients with folate deficiency had more severe depression and anxiety.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nearly, 30% of the HIV patients had a folic acid deficiency, and about 10% of the HIV patients had Vitamin B12deficiency. The folate deficiency was highest among neuropsychiatric patients with or without HIV infection and Vitamin B12deficiency was higher among HIV patients with TB.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal University, Mangalore, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Prabha M R
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Adhikari
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal University, Mangalore, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Mukta N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Chowta
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal University, Mangalore, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: John T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Ramapuram
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal University, Mangalore, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Satish
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rao
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal University, Mangalore, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Karthik
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Udupa
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal University, Mangalore, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Sahana Devdas
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Acharya
keywords: Folic acid; HIV; Vitamin B12; neuropsychiatric symptoms