Journal of AIDS & Clinical Research

Background: Anaemia is a very common finding in patients living with HIV/AIDS, particularly in patients with advance stage. The frequency and severity of anaemia in HIV-patients increased with the decline in CD4 counts as HIV disease is progresses.

Aim: To determine the degree of anaemia and severity of HIV infection in HIV patients on ART and ART-naïve.

Methodology: This Study was carried out at Federal Teaching Hospital (FETHI), Ido Ekiti, Nigeria. One hundred (100) HIV positive subjects on ART and one hundred (100) HIV positive subjects ART naive were the study population. Six millilitres (6 ml) of whole blood was collected from each consented subject, 3 ml was dispensed into 5 ml K2EDTA bottle for immediate analysis of haemoglobin concentration, CD4 count, CD8 count and HIV screening. The remaining 3 ml of blood was dispensed into plain bottle, allowed to clot and centrifuged at 2500 revolution per minute for 5minutes to extract the serum into another plain bottle, stored at -400°C for the analysis of erythropoietin and viral load.

Results: HIV ART-naive and ART subjects had prevalence of 57% normocytic normochromic anaemia and 55% macrocytic normochromic anaemia respectively. Prevalence of severe anaemia in ART-naive and ART subjects were 56 and 16 respectively. Mean values of CD4, CD8, CD4/CD8 and EPO in Hb <8.0 g/dL were lower compared to 8.0-9.9 g/dL, Hb 10.0-12.9 g/dL, and Hb >13.0 g/dL among ART-naive and ART subjects.

Conclusion: Degree of anaemia and severity of HIV-infection was higher in HIV-infected ART-naive compared to HIV-infected on ART.