Seroprevalence of HIV in Patients Attending VCTC in a Tertiary Care Hospital and Spectrum of Opportunistic Infections and Profile of CD4 Counts among AIDS patients and Molecular Characterization of HIV.

INTRODUCTION : Infection with Human Immuno Deficiency Virus and its end stage Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome are the major public health challenges of modern times. The HIV positive patients are extremely susceptible to a variety of opportunistic infections which cause morbidity and hospitalization. Though curative treatment for HIV is not available at present, we can minimize the HIV infection by early screening and health education. AIM & OBJECTIVES : To study the seroprevalence of HIV infection in Thanjavur by subjecting the serum samples to Rapid Card tests and confirm by ELISA. To determine the CD4 counts of the reactive patients. To categorise the cases according to the presenting complaints and screen for Opportunistic Infections and do Molecular Characterisation for HIV-1. MATERIALS & METHODS : All cases were screened by COMB-AIDS kit at VCTC, TMCH, Thanjavur. Those samples which test reactive to COMB-AIDS kit are subjected to HIV Triline, HIV Trispot & ELISA.CD4 counts of the reactive patients were detected. Zeihl–Neelsen staining of sputum, culture of oral swabs for Candida, Toxoplasma, HSV-2 screening by ELISA, Cryptococcal latex agglutination test were done for reactive cases.Molecular Characterisation of HIV-1 was done for 10 samples. RESULTS : Seroprevalence of HIV was 2.8%.Oral Candidiasis (39.02%) emerged as the most common Opportunistic Infection followed by Pulmonary Tuberculosis (28.03%), Herpes Simplex Virus -2 (14.45%) Toxoplasmosis (5.78%) and Cryptococcosis (3.41%). All 10 samples answered positive in PCR