Heterogeneity of Iron Status and Antiretroviral Therapy during Pregnancy in Côte d and #8217;Ivoire

Abstract

Antiretroviral therapy for decades is the appropriate treatment for infected populations with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). However, it is associated with complications that affect the organism infected. The combination of antiretroviral therapy and pregnancy degrades iron metabolism. This work aims to evaluate and characterize the impact of the interaction between antiretroviral therapy and different stages of pregnancy in women of Abidjan on all biological indicators of iron status. The conducted investigations were a prospective, cross-sectional, descriptive analytical and case-control study. They concerned 275 women of reproductive age in all trimesters of pregnancy and in consultation to integrated center for Bioclinical research of Abidjan (ICBRA). These women were divided into two groups: 135 pregnant women infected with HIV without antiretroviral therapy as controls and 140 pregnant women infected with HIV receiving antiretroviral therapy. All biological indicators of iron metabolism were determined either by colorimetric or immunoturbidimetric assays through blood samples from each pregnant woman or by calculation. The results of the study showed an extreme degradation in all evaluation of iron metabolism biological indicators assessment in all pregnant women. Analyzes of these biological parameters revealed that pregnant women with HIV and receiving treatment showed a significant alteration of their iron status (92 %) against 62.9 % in control pregnant women. However, latter have indicated a strong immunodepression towards the end of pregnancy with 40 % against 28 % among women on antiretroviral therapy. In addition, control subjects in early pregnancy reported a high rate of inflammatory anaemia associated with iron deficiency (30 % against 0 %) to critical stage (stage C) of HIV infection progression. The interaction between antiretroviral therapy and pregnancy disrupted iron metabolism in pregnant women infected with HIV. This deterioration is greater in infected pregnant women without antiretroviral therapy. The probable reasons for these changes in iron status of pregnant women infected with HIV in Abidjan are pregnancy and antiretroviral medication.