EVALUATION OF LIPID PROFILE IN HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS PATIENTS ON ANTIRETROVIRAL THERAPY ATTENDING CLINIC AT ESUT HOSPITAL, PARKLANE, ENUGU.

With the introduction of these antiretroviral drugs in mid to late 1990s, HIV associated morbidity and mortality in treated patients have significantly reduced so that they no longer succumb to opportunistic infections. The efforts of international donors and organizations have assisted in providing easy access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) in most developing countries like Nigeria. However, patients with HIV are subject to dyslipideamia and other complications secondary to ART that are often referred to as HIV metabolic syndrome. Even before the availability of ART, studies in HIV infected individuals have shown a variety of lipid abnormalities. Low levels of total cholesterol (TC), High density Lipoprotein (HDL) and Low density Lipoprotein (LDL) have been reported in HIV infection. The aim of this study is to evaluate lipid profile in human immunodeficiency virus patients on antiretroviral therapy attending clinic at Esut hospital, Parklane, Enugu. The study was conducted at Antiretroviral Clinic, Enugu State University Teaching Hospital Enugu State This cross-sectional study was carried out on 50 naive HIV patients, 50 HIV patients on ART and 50 apparently healthy individuals as control. All subjects will be male and female and between 15 to 45 years of age. Blood samples were collected for determination of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) Logistic regression analysis was used to determine factors associated with lipid abnormalities. There was a significant difference when T-Chol, TG, HDL, LDL and VLDL were compared between HIV patients on ART, HIV naïve and Control subjects. T-Chol, TG, HDL and VLDL were significantly decreased among the HIV on ART and HIV naïve when compared with the control subjects while LDL was significantly increased among the HIV patients on ART when compared with HIV naïve and control subjects. This present study found a decreased Total cholesterol, HDL, TG and VLDL among the HIV infected patients compared to the control subjects, but found a high LDL – cholesterol among the HIV infected patients on ART when compared with the HIV naïve and control subjects. Therefore, we wish to suggest that a novel mechanism of ART administration be followed in order to avoid associated cardiovascular risk. ART should be administration with caution.