ABSTRACT
Background: Anaemia is a common feature among HIV infected people and has been uniformly demonstrated that the severity of anaemia increase the morbidity and mortality in PLWH independent of CD4 count. There are wide variations in the prevalence of anaemia from different countries all over the world and gender specific variation observed in different studies. Aims and Objectives: Aims of our study were to study the different types and the various etiologies of anaemia in newly diagnosed HIV infected adults. Also to find out the relation between absolute CD4 counts and severity of anaemia. Methods: Fifty newly diagnosed HIV infected adults with anaemia were included in the study. Study conducted from July 2014 to June 2015 at a tertiary care hospital and medical teaching institute in eastern India. Detailed medical history was taken, thorough physical examination was done and relevant routine laboratory investigations were done in all patients. Few special investigations were done in selected patients. Results: In this study 70 % of the patients belonged to the lower socio economic group and 58% of the cases were addicted to alcohol which is also a significant associated risk factor. The mean CD4 count was 170.1 with a standard deviation of 123.16. The mean Hb% of the population was 7.13 with a standard deviation of 1.27031492. The most common etiology found was anaemia of chronic disease (34%) and other etiologies were HIV induced myelodysplasia (32%), iron deficiency anaemia (16%), helminth infection (14%) and vitamin B12 deficiency leading to megaloblastic anaemia was seen in 4% cases. Conclusion: Anaemia of chronic disease is the most common etiology, which has correlation with disease activity.
ABSTRACT
Purpose: To find out the most suitable serological investigative procedures to diagnose dengue cases effectively in the laboratory practice identifying primary and secondary cases as well as period of suffering. Materials and Methods: Dengue suspected cases sent to the laboratory in 2012 in central Kolkata by the local physicians were categorised into seven panels according to the investigations asked for such as (1) only dengue‑specific NS1 antigen (2) only IgM antibodies, (3) NS1 + IgM + IgG antibodies, (4) only IgM and IgG, (5) NS1 + IgM, (6) NS1 + IgG and (7) only IgG. Results: Out of 1892 suspected cases, dengue was diagnosed in 725 (38.3%). Through panels I, II, III, IV, V, VI and VII, it was possible to diagnose dengue in (I) 35.98% (435/1209), (II) 37.5% (24/60), (III) 49% (173/354), (IV) 30.8% (68/221), (V) 60.5% (23/38), (VI) 40% (2/5) and (VII) 0 of cases respectively. Detail information such as confirmed diagnosis, duration of the disease (whether early or prolonged) and classification of primary and secondary dengue in such early or prolonged stages would only be possible in panel III, which information would be helpful for effective monitoring and treatment of dengue patients. In all other panels, merely fragmentary information would be obtained. Conclusions: Serodiagnostic tests dengue‑specific NS1 antigen and IgM and IgG antibodies when conducted simultaneously would be able to diagnose confirmed dengue cases categorising primary and secondary dengue along with the duration of the disease, whether early or prolonged.
ABSTRACT
Castlemans disease is a rare lymphoproliferative disorder. We report a patient of Castlemans disease with advanced HIV infection who responded well to conventional HAART. This case is interesting because of the rarity of the disease in the eastern part of India and its good out come with antiretroviral therapy.