Effects of co-infections of Plasmodium falciparum and HIV on haematological parameters among HIV infected patients receiving treatment in Lokoja, Kogi State, Nigeria.

Abstract

Significant effect of Malaria and Human Immunodeficiency Virus is greatly a great burden in HIV infected patients in Kogi State, Nigeria due to therapeutic out come and immunological strength are not re-evaluated, in appropriate diagnostic measures for proper assessing and monitoring of the treatment, the cut off values for CD4+ are arbitrarily chosen, in appropriate quantification of CD4+ count for monitoring the patient immunity, proliferation of virus, progression of viral load and in appropriate treatment regimen. The study was carried out to investigate the effect or the interference of Plasmodium falciparum on haematological parameters of HIV infected and non infected subjects in Lokoja metropolis, Kogi State. The study was designed to investigate the effect or interference of Plasmodium falciparum on haematological parameters of HIV infected subjects in Lokoja metropolis, Kogi State.. Sixty three (63) participants were recruited for the study. They were grouped into three:group one were (HIV infected subjects not on HIV treatment), group two were (HIV infected subjects on HIV treatment) and group three were (HIV negative subjects not infected with HIV but only infected with P. falciparum as negative control. Samples were collected and analyzed for Plasmodium falciparum using both manual method and PCR. For the manual method, the blood film was made with Giemsa 2%stain and for molecular identification, PCR machine was used. PCV, Hb estimation, white blood cell count were performed using manual method. Viral load and CD4+ were performed molecularly with gene Xpert machine. Chi-square and one way ANOVA were used as a Statistical tool. Result indicated that 58.7% tested positive for Plasmodium falciparum for both HIV infected subjects and non HIV infected subjects and 41.3% tested negative. It was observed that group 1 and group 2 shows decrease in CD4 count, decrease in white blood cell count and decrease in haemoglobin concentration as a result of the effects of P. falciparum invasion or co-infection with significant difference of 0.001 at (p< 0.05) compared to group 3 subjects not infected with HIV that shows no significant difference at (p> 0.05). Group 3 appeared within ideal reference values. This revealed that P. falciparum interfered with the treatment of HIV infected subjects. This is a clear indication that invasion or co-infection of P. falciparum in HIV infected subjects led to progression of HIV to AIDS, impairment of the immune system, severity of anaemia, increase malaria associated mortality, impaired Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy and the suppression of the stem cell and slow response to HIV treatment.