Pregnancy, HIV and Antiretroviral Therapy on Iron Metabolism in Côte d’Ivoire

Abstract

During pregnancy different metabolic pathways of iron are strongly altered. The main purpose of this investigation is to assess, identify and characterize interaction of the three trimesters of pregnancy, HIV and antiretroviral therapy on the biological indicators of metabolism iron. In this study, 405 women divided into three groups of pregnant women in different trimesters of pregnancy, namely control pregnant women considered apparently healthy, HIV infected pregnant women without antiretroviral therapy and HIV infected pregnant women on antiretroviral therapy for at least one year. Blood samples were carried out in a tube with anticoagulant in each of pregnant women to determine haematological parameters. Blood samples collected on a dry tube were used to determine HIV status and various biochemical indicators of iron metabolism assessment. Results of study showed that haematological and biochemical parameters were altered during the three trimesters of pregnancy in all selected pregnant women. Haematological parameters, serum iron, serum transferrin, TIBC and serum ferritin were strongly degraded in last trimester of infected pregnant women without antiretroviral therapy compared with other pregnant women. In addition, infected pregnant women without antiretroviral therapy revealed a highest prevalence of normal iron status than the other two pregnant women groups (37.1 %, 20.8 % and 8 % respectively). Furthermore, iron deficiency, iron deficiency anaemia, inflammatory anaemia and inflammatory anaemia associated with iron deficiency have been identified as components of iron status. This study reveals that the interaction of pregnancy, HIV and antiretroviral therapy was observed in all selected pregnant women for most determined biological parameters. This observation is critical for HIV infected pregnant women with ARVT. However, infected pregnant women without antiretroviral therapy reported a high prevalence of inflammatory anaemia.