International Journal of Pharma and Bio Sciences
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10.22376/ijpbs.2019.10.1.p1-12
Volume 3 Issue 4
2012(October - December)
C-REACTIVE PROTEIN AS AN EARLY MARKER OF OPPORTUNISTIC INFECTIONS IN HIV
Opportunistic infections account for the majority of death in untreated patients with AIDS. CRP is a highly sensitive marker of infection & inflammation and its levels increase with infection. The present Study was undertaken among 1oo HIV+ patients, at ART center Victoria Hospital Bangalore. With the informed consent of the patient, a generalized proforma was filled up consisting of patient's clinical presentation and diagnosis. Their CRP level and CD4 count were measured. 56 HIV+ patients were asymptomatic and acted as control giving a negative test for CRP ( lessThan 6mg/l), Showing no base line rise in CRP. Patients with infectious diagnosis showed a positive test for CRP, while patients on treatment were negative. CRP levels as high as 192mg/l were found in patients with endometrial cancer. Among the infectious cases, bacterial infection showed high level of CRP (mean 32mg/l) compared to viral/fungal infection (mean 9mg/l). Combinations of opportunistic infections produced a high level of CRP (mean 45mg/l). A graph of CRP along x-axis and CD4 count along Y-axis were plotted which showed a negative correlation (r=-0.2324, p lessThan 0.01 and lzl=2.40). From the graph, the CRP level at which ART can be started is greaterThan 92.413mg/l [taking lessThan 200 (cells/µ l)as the CD4 count at which ART is started]. Patients showing negative test for CRP need not be started with ART, as their CD4 count is found to be approximately 329 cells/µl. CRP level in HIV patients has a prognostic significance and can be used as an early marker of Opportunistic infections.
NAGESH.Y.WADGERA, KALA YADHAV.M.L AND NAGARAJA.B.S
C-reactive protein (CRP), Opportunistic Infections (OI), HIV+
1194-1203