The global prevalence of thrombocytopenia among HIV-infected adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Background: Thrombocytopenia is the second most frequent complication of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, occurring in about 4–40% of HIV-infected patients. This study aimed to determine the global prevalence of thrombocytopenia among HIV/AIDS adults and its association with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Method: This systematic review and meta-analysis was performed based on Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The Joana Brigg’s Institute (JBI) critical appraisal checklist was used for quality appraisal of the included articles. A random-effect model was fitted to calculate the pooled estimates using STATA version-11. A sub-group analysis and sensitivity analysis were carried out to determine the potential source of heterogeneity. Result: Of the 1823 articles that were retrieved, 20 full-text articles were eligible for meta-analysis. The overall pooled prevalence of thrombocytopenia among HIV-infected adults was 17.9% (95% CI: 14.69, 21.12) I2 = 96.4%. The pooled prevalence of thrombocytopenia was 21.00% (95% CI: 17.35, 24.65) and 11.64% (95% CI: 6.66, 16.62), before and after initiation of HAART, respectively. Conclusion: Thrombocytopenia is a common comorbidity in HIV patients and HAART was significantly associated with reduced thrombocytopenia. Therefore, prompt start of HAART might help to decrease the prevalence of thrombocytopenia and its subsequent complications.

Keywords

• Meta-analysis
• HAART
• HIV/AIDS
• Systematic review
• Thrombocytopenia