Introduction: Infections in people living with HIV reflect the immune suppression of the host. Hence, CRP can be used as a marker of degree of immune suppression. CRP is produced as a result of the opportunistic infection; a decreased level of CRP is thus an indicator of good treatment response to the underlying infection. Present study is an effort to evaluate correlation as well as association between CD4 count and CRP levels in HIV/AIDS.
Methodology: The present study was a cross sectional hospital based study for a period of twelve months from 1st Nov. 2015 to 31st Oct.2016 at ART center P.B.M. Hospital, Bikaner. Out of 100 HIV + patients on ART, 50 were symptomatic and included in study group and remaining 50 were asymptomatic and taken as control.
Results: Maximum no of participants in both groups were between age group of 31-40 years; were male; were from Bikaner; were married; were of low socioeconomic status; and had history of heterosexual contacts. Mean duration since ART started was 2-5 years in 50% cases and 52% of controls respectively. In our study 38% of the study group patients had CRP>20 mg/I whereas 88% of the control subjects
had CRP of <6mg/l. 46% of the study subjects had CD4 count less than 200 as compared to just 4% in the control group. CRP level was significantly higher in study group and CD4 count was higher in control group. Highest CRP level were found for TB followed by oral candidiasis, LRTI and diarrhea.
Conclusion: From the study conducted it can be concluded that hsCRP is an excellent predictor of OI risk in HIV patients. So the additional cost of doing hsCRP assay in all newly detected patients would be justifiable.
1. Quantitative CRP 2. Opportunistic infection 3. CD4 count 4. ART (antiretroviral therapy)
