Author(s)

Berry Bongenya Ikolango^1,2, Mariano Lusakibanza³, Gauthier Mesia Kahunu³, Baudoin Buassa Bu Tsumbu⁴, Richard Kalala Lunganza⁴, Erick Kamangu Ntambwe^2,4*

¹Faculty of Medicine, Bel Campus Technological University, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.
²“HIV/AIDS Focus” Research Group, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.
³Clinical Pharmacology Unit, Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.
⁴Service of Molecular Biochemistry, Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.

Background: Anemia remains the most frequent hematological complication during HIV/AIDS infection. Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of anemia among People Living with HIV (PLHIV) who start AntiRetroViral treatment in Kinshasa in the era of Dolutegravir. Methods: This study was a descriptive cross-sectional study to determine the prevalence of anemia in PLHIV at the start of ARV Treatment (ART) in 13 Outpatient Treatment Centers (OTC) in Kinshasa. The patient inclusion period was from October 04, 2021 to February 15, 2022. Patients included in the present study were HIV type 1 infected, ART naïve, over the age of 18 and had signed informed consent for participation. The parameters of interest were: The hemoglobin level and the clinic of the patients. Results: One hundred and nineteen patients were included in this work with an average age of 39.87 ± 12.36 years and extremities of 18 to 69 years. The most represented age group is that of 36 to 45 years with 37 patients (31.9%). Sixty-seven patients (56.3%) are female. The average value for Hemoglobin is 10.30 ± 2.33 g/dl. The most represented range of values is that of more than 13 g/dl with 73 patients (69.5%). Forty-nine (49) patients, or 41.5%, were in clinical stage 3. Fifty-five (55) patients, or 47.0%, had normal clinical status. Conclusion: At the start of ART, 21.0% of patients presented with some form of anemia: 7.6% mild anemia, 8.6% moderate anemia and 4.8% severe anemia. About half of the patients (41.5%) were at clinical stage 3 according to WHO and more than half of all patients (47.0%) had a normal clinical condition.

Anemia, PLHIV, Start of ART, Kinshasa

Ikolango, B.B., Lusakibanza, M., Kahunu, G.M., Tsumbu, B.B.B., Lunganza, R.K. and Ntambwe, E.K. (2023) Prevalence of Anemia among People Living with HIV/AIDS Starting Antiretroviral Therapy in the Era of Dolutegravir in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. Open Access Library Journal, 10, 1-8. doi: 10.4236/oalib.1109580.