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J Pediatr Infect Dis 2011; 06(01): 007-015
DOI: 10.3233/JPI-2011-0293
Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart – New York

Predictors of trends were similar for absolute and percentage CD4+ T-lymphocytes in HIV-infected children in Ghana

Lorna Renner
a   Department of Child Health, University of Ghana Medical School, Accra, Ghana
,
Musie Ghebremichael
,
Bamenla Goka
a   Department of Child Health, University of Ghana Medical School, Accra, Ghana
,
Margaret Lartey
c   Department of Internal Medicine, University of Ghana Medical School, Accra, Ghana
,
Awewura Kwara
d   Miriam Hospital and Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
,
Elijah Paintsil
e   Department of Pediatrics and Pharmacology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
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Publication History

19 March 2010

08 August 2010

Publication Date:
28 July 2015 (online)

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Abstract

Percentage CD4+ T-lymphocyte is used for immunologic monitoring human immune deficiency virus (HIV) infections in children. Given the relative ease of obtaining absolute CD4+ T-lymphocyte, we sought to investigate whether the predictors of the trends in absolute and percentage CD4+ T-lymphocytes in HIV-infected children in resource-limited setting were similar. A retrospective analysis of CD4+ T-lymphocytes data from June, 2004 to December, 2007 of the Pediatric HIV cohort at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, Ghana. Mixed models were used to examine predictors of the trends in absolute and percentage CD4+ T-lymphocytes. Absolute and percentage CD4+ T-lymphocytes increased over time (p < 0.001). Baseline absolute and percentage values correlated with subsequent values (p < 0.001). Gender, age, treatment, World Health Organization clinical staging, and the source of patient referral to the clinic did not predict the changes in CD4+ T-lymphocytes. The predictors of the trends in absolute and percentage CD4+ T-lymphocytes were similar. Studies are needed to examine whether absolute CD4+ T-lymphocyte counts could be used to monitor pediatric HIV in resource-limited settings.

Keywords

HIV disease progression - CD4+ T-lymphocytes - HIV viral load - pediatrics - resource-limited settings