TITLE:
Studies on Vitamin D Levels in Serum of HIV Infected Patients: Their Effect on Progression towards AIDS
AUTHORS:
Catherine Wanjiru Gichuhi, Daniel Kariuki, Andrew Nyerere, Malkit Riyat
KEYWORDS:
Vitamin D, HIV Patients, ART, Viral Load, CD4 Count
JOURNAL NAME:
World Journal of AIDS,
Vol.4 No.4,
December
11,
2014
ABSTRACT: Vitamin D deficiency may
be more prevalent among HIV-positive patients than in the general population
due to HIV disease-related factors. This study examined the effects of HIV
infection and use of antiretroviral drugs in serum vitamin D levels in HIV
patients visiting Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi Kenya from October 2013
to April 2014. The effect of vitamin D status on CD4cell count and HIV viral load was
evaluated to determine the status of disease progression to AIDS. HIV viral
load in blood samples was determined using COBAS Ampliprep/TaqMan HIV-1 test
kit while CD4cell
counts were done using the fluorescence-activated cell sorter system. The
levels of vitamin D in serum were determined using electrochemiluminescence
binding assay in Cobas E601 mass analyzers. In addition, selected plasma
enzymes were used to evaluate liver function. Higher percentage (49.12%) of
deficient vitamin D cases were observed among HIV patients not on ART.
Deficient levels of Vitamin D were associated with abnormal selected liver
enzymes. High viral load was observed among patients not on ART with deficient
and insufficient vitamin D. The CD4cell count was higher in patients on
ART with sufficient vitamin D levels compared to those with deficient vitamin
D. These observations suggest a need to supplement ART with vitamin D in order
to ameliorate Vitamin D deficiency as a strategy to improve HIV management.