CD4 Count and Opportunistic Infections in HIV Positive Patients with Neurological Manifestations

Abstract

Introduction: CD4 count is having special predictive value in oc- currence of opportunistic infection. Opportunistic infection mostly occurs when CD4 count goes below 250 cells/microL. Methodology: This was a cross sectional study, done in 50 HIV positive patients attending medicine OPD and admitted patients in SMIMER, a tertiary care hospital in Surat, Gujarat, India. All HIV positive patients above 18 years presenting with neurological manifestations and ready to give informed written consent to par- ticipate were included. Complete clinical assessment and laborato- ry investigations were performed in all cases. Results: Mean CD-4 count in TBM was 140, in Cryptococcal men- ingitis was 52, in Toxoplasmosis was 170 and in AIDP was 281. The difference in the mean CD4 count is statistically significant (p- Value<0.001). Thus AIDP can occur at CD4 level as high as 281 cells/microL. Conclusion: Most common primary neurological illness was DSPN and secondary neurological illness was TBM. AIDP can oc- cur at CD4 level as high as 281 cells/microL. Whereas other OIs can occur after CD4 count goes below 200 cells/microL.

Keywords

• TB Meningitis (TBM)
• CD4 count
• HIV
• Neurological Manifestations