Study of Viral Load and CD4 Count in Diagnosis of HIV-1 Positive Patients

Abstract

This study reports the distribution of CD4 counts and viral loads in first-time HIV positive patients. One hundred cases of different kinds of HIV/AIDS were included in this study. Written consent was obtained from each participant for their information to be stored in the clinic database and used for research purposes. Blood samples were collected from these volunteers in the sterilized vials and processed for CD4 count and viral load.Data were analyzed with statistical package (SPSS 16.0) software and correlation coefficients and correlation matrix were determined. One hundred cases (37 males and 63 females) of different kinds of HIV/ AIDS were included in this study with a mean age ranged from 33.45 ± 13.052. Half of the patients below 29 years of age and only 4% are above 59 years of age. Relationship between the CD4 cell count and the dependent variable viral load. R, the multiple correlation coefficients, is the linear correlation between the observed and predicted values of the dependent variable viral load. Its large value indicates a strong relationship between CD4 cell count values and viral load (R=0.837). If R value is small, then it takes large errors. For R square 0.701, nearly one third the variation in viral load is explained by the independent variable CD4 cell count. The Gender wise mean comparison of viral load in CD4 positive patients was found significant (p<0.05). HIV-infected men at their first HIV diagnosis are more likely to have lower CD4 counts and higher viral loads than women.