RESUMEN
Aim: To determine the prevalence of disseminated cryptococcosis among symptomatic HIVinfected patients, attending the Antiretroviral Treatment Clinic at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Nigeria. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Internal Medicine and Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Edo State, Nigeria, between September 2010 and August 2011. Methodology: Five hundred consecutive symptomatic HIV-infected patients, on ART were enrolled into this cross-sectional study (266 males, 234 females, age range 18-81 years, mean age, 40.08 years). A blood sample collected from each participant was screened for serum cryptococcal antigen (CRAG) using the cryptococcal Latex agglutination test. The viral load and CD4+ T -cell count were also determined in parallel. A structured questionnaire was used to gather Information on socio demographic characteristics, medical and treatment history of participants. Data collected and the results of laboratory tests were analyzed using the SPSS software, version 22.0. Results: The prevalence of serum cryptococcal antigen was 9.8%. Majority (66.8%) of the participants had a CD4+ T-cell count of less than 100 cells/μl. The association between serum CRAG and CD4+ T-cell was found to be significant (P < .001). Viral load done for only 90 of the participants was high in 51.1%. The association between serum CRAG and viral load was found to be significant (P < .001). Conclusion: The prevalence of serum CRAG was high among symptomatic HIV- infected patients on ART, in Benin city, Nigeria, despite ART implementation. There is need therefore for a routine cryptococcal antigen test for all symptomatic HIV-infected patients on ART, while further microbiological investigations for those with positive result are recommended for appropriate medical intervention.
RESUMEN
Background: Lupus anticoagulant (LA) is a heterogeneous group of antibodies that causes a variety of clinical and laboratory effects; has been described in infections such as human immunodeficiency virus. LA has not been previously described in Nigerians with human immunodeficiency virus infection on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Aim: To determine the frequency of LA in patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus on HAART. Methods: Cross sectional study of patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection undergoing HAART at a tertiary hospital in Nigeria. Screening for LA was done using the activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) and kaolin clotting time (KCT). Mixing experiments were conducted on samples with prolonged clotting time. KCT ratio was calculated. A positive result was taken as KCT ratio greater than or equal to 1.2. Fisher's exact test was used to test the association between LA and sex. Association between aPTT and KCT was tested according to Pearson. P-value < 0.05 was considered significant. Results: Fifty-eight patients aged 18- 60 years were studied, comprising of 28 males (mean age 40.50 plus/minus 8.8 years) and 30 females (mean age 35.4 plus/minus 9.02). Frequency of LA among human immunodeficiency infected patients was 5.2%, (frequency in males and females were 3.6 and 6.7 % respectively). This was lower than 46% reported in patients not on HAART. There was no statistically significant difference in LA prevalence between males and females P greater than0.05. A positive correlation was observed between the clotting tests aPTT and KCT (r is equal to 0.9406, p less than 0.0001). Conclusion: HAART may prevent development of LA in HIV-infected patients.