PROSPECTIVE STUDY OF IMMUNOLOGICAL RECOVERY IN HIV PATIENTS BY CD4 COUNT AFTER SIX MONTH ON HAART

Introduction: In chronic HIV infection disease progression and response to Highly Active Anti Retroviral Therapy is monitored by CD4 + T lymphocyte count measurement and plasma viral load quantification. In resource limited countries CD4 + T lymphocyte count measurement is commonly used. Methodology: Newly diagnosed HIV seropositive subjects (n= 68) in clinical stage 1&2 with CD4 count less than 500 cells/ µl was started on therapy and CD4 count response was evaluated after 06 months with adherence more than 95%. Results: There was overall increase in mean CD4 cell count of 129 cells/ µl after 06 month follow up on therapy from the baseline in the study cohort but actually in 15 patients there was statistically significant fall in mean CD4 cell count of 92 cells/ µl. Therapy dependent increase in CD4 cell count at 06 month follow up is significantly seen in subject with pre treatment baseline CD4 count less than 350 cells/ µl and there is no correlation between age and immunological recovery with therapy. Conclusion: Therapy has favourable outcome in immune recovery and CD4 count monitoring is a powerful tool to determine the response in most of the individuals but paradoxical response cases will need powerful indices like viral load quantification. Therapy response has favourable outcome in pre treatment CD4 count of less than 350 cells/ µl