Profile of the Blood Count among People Living with HIV Monitored at the Institute of Social Hygiene and the Aristide Le Dantec Hospital in Dakar

Abstract

Introduction: The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a pandemic of concern to the World Health Organization. It is all the more worrisome because if not properly managed, it can be responsible for several complications, including abnormal blood counts. These abnormalities may also be related to treatment. Objectives: The main objective of this study is to show that adequate antiretroviral therapy can correct various abnormalities exerted by HIV on patients’ blood counts. The specific objective is to determine all the abnormalities we can see in blood count before and during HIV treatment. Materials and Methods: Our study was conducted in the hematology laboratory and the dermatology departments of the Aristide Le Dantec Hospital and the Institute of Social Hygiene. It took place from December 2009 to October 2011. It is a retrospective descriptive and analytical study involving HIV-positive patients (HIV 1 and 2) and under antiretroviral treatment (at least six months of treatment). We included 110 patients in the study. Blood counts were performed at the hematology laboratory of the Aristide le Dantec hospital using a KX21 automaton. Each patient received three blood counts during the first six months of treatment (M0, M3 and M6). A univariate analysis was performed to determine the profile of the abnormalities of the blood count and the chi 2 test was used and a threshold of p < 0.05 was considered significant. Results: The mean age of the patients was 38.6 ± 8.6 years (extremes of 18 and 64 years) with a sex ratio of 0.42 (77 females and 33 males). The prevalence of anemia was 80% (n = 88) at M0, 53, 63% at M3 (n = 59), and 38.20% at M6 (n = 42) (p = 0.02). We noted a favorable evolution with treatment. For the other abnormalities, the evolution was favorable for leukopenia (p = 0.011) and thrombocytopenia (p = 0.007). Conclusion: Our study showed a correction of blood count abnormalities in PLHIV with antiretroviral treatment.