Effect of HIV Infection and Antiretroviral Therapy Duration on Reticulocyte Count and Red Cell Indices

Aim: To determine the Red cell indices and Reticulocyte count values in HIV-positive patients under antiretroviral treatment and those not under antiretroviral treatments with varying durations of HIV infection and antiretroviral treatments.

Study Design: Case-control study.

Place and duration of Study: The study was carried out at Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital Nnewi, Nigeria from March to August 2013.

Methodology: 181 subjects were recruited consisting; Sixty (30 males and 30 females) HIV subjects under antiretroviral therapy (ART) with an HIV infection and ART duration of <1–5 years, >5 –8 years and >8–17 years; Sixty (25 males and 35 females) HIV subjects not under ART (non-ART) with an infection duration of <1–3 years, >3–6 years and >6–11 years; and Sixty-one (31 male and 30 female) apparently healthy seronegative control subjects. The Reticulocytes count, Packed cell volume (PCV), Haemoglobin (HGB), Red blood cell count (RBC), Mean cell volume (MCV), Mean cell haemoglobin (MCH), Mean cell haemoglobin concentration (MCHC) and Human Immunodeficiency virus (HIV) status of the study subjects were determined.

Results: MCV and MCH for ART and non-ART subjects were significantly increased compared with control group (P<.05) and the differences with varying durations of HIV infection and antiretroviral therapy were not significant (P>.05). Moreover, there was a significant decrease in the mean HGB, RBC, MCHC of ART and non-ART compared with control (F=8.51; 133.85; 33.32; P<.05 respectively) and their differences with varying durations of infection and antiretroviral therapy were not significant (P>.05). MCV were significantly higher in ART compared with non-ART (P<.05).

Conclusion: There is no significant variation in Red cell indices and Reticulocyte count values in HIV patients with differences in duration of HIV infection and antiretroviral therapy.