Hematological disorders in HIV-infected children on the background of antiretroviral therapy

Abstract

Introduction. In most cases, HIV infection in children is accompanied by the development of anemia.Objective: to study the nature of the disturbance of the cellular composition of blood in HIV-infected children on the background of antiretroviral therapy.Materials and methods. In the period from September 2015 to January 2017, 124 patients aged from 0 to 18 years old were examined with a diagnosis of HIV infection at various stages of its development. In all patients in the peripheral blood, the hemoglobin concentration, the absolute number of red blood cells, leukocytes and their varieties in a blood volume unit were determined, the hematocrit value was calculated.Results and discussion. Against the background of ongoing antiretroviral therapy, the formation of hypochromic anemia is associated with a consistent decrease in hemoglobin concentration and the number of circulating red blood cells to 104,86±2,80 g/l and to 3,81–3,67×1012/l, which may be accompanied by a decrease in their content in each erythrocyte and the appearance of macrocytic erythroid forms in circulating blood. Leukopenia develops due to the formation of an absolute deficiency of circulating lymphocytes and neutrophilic granulocytes.Conclusion. The specific assessment of cytopenia depends on the type of primary damage to the blood cells, and the choice of specific treatment depends on the type of disorder. Therefore, timely correction of these disorders could possibly reduce the development of the immunodeficiency state.