Assessment of the immunological profile of HIV-positive patients co-infected with malaria parasite attending general hospital North-Bank, Makurdi, Nigeria

Malaria and HIV are the two most important infectious diseases and have comparable global disseminations. Given the eclectic geographical overlap on occurrence and the resulting co-infection; the interaction between the two diseases clearly has major public health implications, mostly in Sub-Saharan Africa. This study investigated the immunological alterations associated with HIV and Malaria co-infection in HIV positive individuals. The study was performed by sampling 600 adult HIV patients who routinely visit the General Hospital North-Bank Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria. Blood samples were obtained for blood film microscopy identification of malaria parasites. Screening for immunological profiles was performed using the flow cytometer for the quantification of CD4+ cell count. Results: Of the 600 patients sampled, 221(36.8%) had normal CD4+ count (≥500cell/mm3), 320 (53.3%) had moderate CD4+ count (between 200 and 499cell/mm3) while 59 (9.8%) had poor CD4+ (less than 200cell/mm3). The mean CD4+ lymphocyte count of HIV-malaria co-infected patients was lower than HIV mono-infected patients. Malaria and HIV co-infection significantly reduced the CD4+ count of the subjects. In general, to achieve better management of all HIV patients in this setting, diagnosing malaria, prompt antiretroviral therapy, monitoring CD4 and some haematological indices on regular basis is important. In light of the epidemiological connection and global reputation of the two diseases, there is an urgent need for more research on a wider range in order to elucidate the impact of co-infection on host immune dynamics in HIV co-infected individuals.