A Real-Time PCR Based Study on HIV Viral Load and Its Correlation with the Clinical and Immunological Status of the HIV Positive Patients

INTRODUCTION : H I V infection/AIDS has become a major public health problem in India. Although the median interval between HIV-1 infection and the development of the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome in adults is 10 to 11 years, some infected persons rapidly progress to AIDS in less than five years. The biological basis of this variability is unknown but differences in viral strains, host immune response and exposure to microbial or environmental factors probably contribute. Identification of laboratory tests that help predict the progression to AIDS in people infected with HIV is desirable because of its implication for both clinical management and prognosis. Quantitative measurement of HIV RNA levels in peripheral blood has contributed significantly to the understanding of the pathogenesis of HIV infection and has been shown to be an essential parameter in the prognosis and optimal management of HIV infected individuals. CD4+ T cell count is the laboratory test generally accepted as the best indicator of the immediate state of immunologic competence of the patient with HIV infection.It has been shown to correlate very well with the level of immunologic competence of the patient. In view of above, this study was taken to determine the clinical profile, immunological and virological status of the HIV seropositive patients. AIM : To determine the clinical,virological and immunological status of HIV positive patients who attend Institute of Venereology and ART Centre at Madras Medical College, Chennai. MATERIALS AND METHODS : Study design: Cross sectional study. Study period: May 2010 - August 2011. Subject Selection: 50 treatment naive HIV positive patients diagnosed at Institute of Venereology and ART Centre at Madras Medical College, Chennai were randomly selected for the study. Inclusion Criteria: • Patients who were positive for HIV infection. • Patients who were at the various stages (WHO staging) of HIV disease. Exclusion criteria HIV positive patients who were on ART. Study: Patients selected for study ...