Correlação entre carga viral e trombocitopenia em pacientes HIV-positivos

Abstract

This study analysed patients with positive-sorology to anti-HIV antibodies, under anti-retroviral therapy or not, during the period between November 2002 and September 2003. The analysis was carried out in an attempt at finding a relation between the platelet counting and the levels of viral load. Thirty patients at the Infectious Diseases Clinic of the Federal Hospital of Santa Maria were analysed. In order to determine the viral load, the b-DNA methodology (branched DNA Bayer®) was utilised with the limit of detection inferior to 50 copies of viral RNA per millilitre of sample. Data evaluation was performed through the variation of viral load, expressed in logarithms. Platelet counting was determined by the electronic counter STKS (Counter-Coulter®). In the studied population, 5 patients (16.7%) presented thrombocitopenia with detectable levels of viral load. Among these, 1 (3.3%) utilised AZT and 1(3.3%) was not undergoing antiretroviral therapy. It was observed that 16 patients (53.3%) utilised AZT therapy and 5 (16.7%) were not making use of anti-retroviral. By the statistic analysis, a low correlation between the platelet counting and the level of viral load was found. However low, the correlation between the variables suggests that as the levels of viral load increase, the platelets counting diminish.