Evaluation of Baseline CD4+ T Cell Counts and ART Requirement in Newly Diagnosed HIV Seropositive Individuals in a Tertiary Care Hospital of Northern India
Published: November 1, 2016 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.7860/JCDR/2016/21595.8915
Sonali Bhattar, Bhanu Mehra, Preena Bhalla, Deepti Rawat
1. Senior Resident, Department of Microbiology, Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi, India.
2. Senior Resident, Department of Microbiology, Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi, India.
3. Director Professor, Department of Microbiology, Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi, India.
4. Assistant Professor, Department of Microbiology, Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi, India.
Correspondence
Dr. Preena Bhalla,
Department of Microbiology, Maulana Azad Medical College,
2-Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, New Delhi-110002, India.
E-mail: preenabhalla@gmail.com
Introduction: Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) has changed the outlook of Human Immune deficiency Virus (HIV)/ Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) patients worldwide.
Aim: To analyse the trends in baseline CD4+ T cell counts and ART requirements in newly diagnosed HIV seropositive individuals in a Tertiary care hospital of Northern India.
Materials and Methods: Out of 1263 HIV seropositive clients identified from January 2012 to June 2014, the baseline CD4+ T cell counts of only those 470 clients were analysed, who registered at the linked ART centre.
Results: The mean baseline CD4+ count of the study group was 249.77±216.0 cells/mm3 and that of male and female were 300.31±240.47 cells/mm3 and 232.38±204.25 cells/mm3 respectively. A total of 259 of 334 (77.54%) HIV reactive males, 83 of 130 (63.85%) HIV reactive females and overall 348 of 470 (74.04%) required antiretroviral treatment on enrolment.
Conclusion: In the present study, about three-fourth of newly diagnosed HIV positive Indian patients required initiation of ART at registration. The relatively low baseline CD4+ T cell counts in this population highlights the need for timely baseline CD4+ T counts testing of HIV positive patients and the urgency of initiating treatment in HIV reactive individuals in Indian health care settings.
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