Haematological disorders in HIV-infected people in a semi-rural area in the Capricorn district of Limpopo province, South Africa

Abstract

Infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a global epidemic with about 37 million people infected worldwide. Infection prevalence in South Africa is approximately 17% of the total global cases, with high mobility and mortality rates. Despite the high statistics of HIV infection in South Africa, little is known regarding the burden of haematological disorders in people infected with HIV. The purpose of the study was, therefore, to determine and describe haematological disorders in HIV-infected people on antiretroviral treatment (ART) and those not on ART, in the semi-rural villages of Ga-Mothapo in the Limpopo Province, South Africa. The study was cross-sectional, descriptive and quantitative. Student t-test and Chi-square were the applied statistics. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26.0 was used for data analysis. Factor VIII, fibrinogen, proteins C and S activity levels were determined on ACL 200 coagulation analyser; CD4+ T cell count was performed on CD4 PIMA analyser; full blood count was performed on AcT.5 diff Haematology analyser and HIV-1/2 Ag/Ab combo test devices were used for HIV screening. The prevalence rates for HIV-naive and ART groups were respectively as follows: Anaemia = 13.0%, 11.9%; leukopenia =20.9%, 31.0%; thrombocytopenia = 9.0%, 7.6%; low CD4+ T cell count = 10.1%, 14.3%; high protein C=19.4%, 15.7%; high protein S=31.3%, 24.0%; hyperfibrinogenaemia =43.3%, 15.5% and FVIII hyperactivity =35.8%, 27.4%. Differential counts: 35% neutrophils, 35% metamyelocytes and 30% band cells; marked red blood cell anisocytosis, deep basophilic lymphocytes and monocytes and, giant platelet with reduced granulation. On this basis, HIV infection and ART had impact on the haematological parameters.