Comparative Assessment of Haematological Profile, CD4 Cell and Viral Load Counts of HIV-Positive Clients Attending Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH), Kano State, Nigeria

The cluster of differentiation-4 (CD4+) cell counts and HIV RNA concentration are the biomarkers used in treatment monitoring and HIV disease progression. However, this presents unique challenges in resource-limited settings due to limited healthcare infrastructure, financial constraints, and reduced access to diagnostic tools. This study aims to evaluate and compare the haematological parameters of HIV-positive patients and compare them with their CD4+ cell and viral load counts to ascertain their usefulness in monitoring HIV treatment and disease progression. One hundred and ninety-six (196) HIV-positive clients already on antiretroviral therapy, aged 18-75 years old, were enrolled, and their haematological parameters, Viral load, and CD4+ cell counts were evaluated. The data obtained were analyzed using descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA, and Tukey's multiple comparison analysis. The mean (±SD) age of the study participants was 39.42 ±3.78 years. A comparison of the haematological indices of study participants based on their CD4+ cell counts reveals a significant difference between the mean of participants in stages I and II of HIV disease progression (P-value: 0.023). Also, the mean lymphocyte counts for participants in stages I and II and between those in stages II and III were significantly different (P-value: 0.0017, <0.0001, respectively). However, when participants were grouped based on their Viral load count, a significant difference was only observed for white blood cell (WBC) count between those whose viral load was below 20 copies/ml and those with above 1000 copies/ml (P-value 0.0421). Conclusively, it was observed that there is a relatively significant difference in WBC count, lymphocyte counts, and percentage lymphocyte count based on the participant's CD4+ cell and viral load count. Mild anaemia was also documented. These findings further substantiate the importance of haematological parameters in HIV treatment and disease progression monitoring.