The Impact of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) on Viral Load and CD4 Count amongst HIV-1 infected Subjects in Federal Medical Center Lokoja, Nigeria
1 Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Federal University Lokoja, Kogi State, Nigeria.
2 Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Faculty of Health Sciences and Technology, College of Health Sciences, University of Jos, Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria.
3 Department of Nursing Sciences, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Federal University Lokoja, Kogi State, Nigeria.
Research Article
Magna Scientia Advanced Biology and Pharmacy, 2024, 13(02), 017–026
Article DOI: 10.30574/msabp.2024.13.2.0066
Publication history:
Received on 08 October 2024; revised on 19 November 2024; accepted on 21 November 2024
Abstract:
This study was aimed at evaluating the role of antiretroviral drug monitoring, viral load, and CD4 counts amongst HIV-1 infected individuals in FMC, Lokoja, Nigeria, that randomly recruited 154 participants within the age range of 18 and 65 years with a population- based sample of males and females divided into three groups designated A to C; comprising of 40 HIV-1 seropositive individuals on HAART (TDF + 3TC + EFV) designated as group A, 35 HIV-1 seropositive individuals on HAART (AZT + 3TC +NVP) designated as group B, and 79 HAART naïve HIV-1 seropositive individuals designated as control group C. Two points blood samples were taken for group A and group B participants for the measurement of drugs(HAART) using HPLC, HIV-1 RNA Load using PCR and CD4 counts using flow cytometry while one point samples were taken for group C for the measurement of HIV-1 RNA Load and CD4 counts. Data were expressed as mean ± standard deviation and Chi-square analysis. The results showed a significant difference in HIV-1 RNA Load and CD4 counts in group A when compared to group B and group C (p<0.05). There was also a significant difference in HIV-1 RNA Load and CD4 counts in group B when compared with group C (p<0.05). Plasma drug concentrations were higher at 12 months of therapy when compared with plasma drug concentrations at 6 months (p<0.05) with 17.4% virologic failure in participants on nevirapine based regimen and 7.5% virologic failure amongst participants on efavirenz based regimen; this showed the superiority efficacy of efavirenz based regimen to nevirapine based regimen.
Keywords:
HAART; HIV-1 RNA Viral Load; CD4 Count; Therapeutic level; Sub-therapeutic level
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