A STUDY OF VITAMIN D STATUS OF HIV/AIDS PATIENTS IN KANO, NIGERIA

Abstract

The burden of Human Immune Deficiency virus (HIV) infection /Acquired Immune
Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) continues to decline considerably in the past few years.
However, incidence of complications (especially metabolic) associated with the disease has
been on the increase. The bone is a target organ that may be affected by the virus, and
pharmacological agents used during HIV treatments.
This study sets out to evaluate vitamin D status of HIV/AIDS patients in our environment.
The study design was cross sectional and recruited 300 participants made up of 150 HIV
sero-positive group and 150 HIV sero-negative controls. The study participants were selected
by systematic random sampling and matched with an appropriate control group.
Data were collected for demographics, ART duration, ART regimen, serum vitamin D,
Parathyroid hormone (PTH), Albumin, Calcium,Phosphate, CD4 count and viral load.
Samples for vitamin D and PTH were analysed using Elecsys 2010 analyser by
chemiluminescence immunoassay while serum calcium, Phosphate and Albumin were
determined spectrophotometrically. The results were collated and analysed using SPSS
version 16.
The percentage of HIV sero positive participants with vitamin D deficiency, insufficiency
and optimal (adequate) were 60%, 21% and 19% respectively.
This study showed that vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency are common in patients with
HIV/AIDS most especially those on Non- Nucleosides reverse transcriptase inhibitors
(NNRTI)