Leukocytes in HIV: the value of indicators, the norm and deviation. Pathology of platelets After what time platelets rise in HIV

THROMBOCYTOPENIA IN HIV INFECTION

R.K. Khairetdinov, I.L. Davydkin, I.V. Kurtov,

M.A. Selikhova, E.V. Zorin

Department of Hospital Therapy with a Course of Transfusiology Samara State Medical University st. Chapaevskaya, 89, Samara, Russia, 443099

E.V. Vekhova

Samara Regional Center for the Prevention and Control of AIDS and Infectious Diseases Leo Tolstoy, 142, Samara, Russia, 443001

N.V. Liseeva, V.S. Kuvaev, E.V. Tsareva

Hospital Therapy Clinic Samara State Medical University 165b Karl Marx Ave., Samara, Russia, 443079

The platelet count was determined in HIV-infected patients who applied to the Samara Regional Center for the Prevention and Control of AIDS and Infectious Diseases. Thrombocytopenia was detected in 79%, severe in 23.1%. It was registered at any stage of HIV infection and correlated with the level of CD4 lymphocytes. 45 patients underwent sternal puncture. Morphological assessment of the bone marrow revealed changes in 87% of HIV-infected people, the most common disorder was a reduced content or absence of megakaryocytes in the bone marrow (72.5%).

Key words: thrombocytopenia, HIV infection.

One of the many hematological manifestations of HIV infection, along with anemia and leukopenia, is thrombocytopenia.

Their pathogenetic mechanisms are varied and may include several components: direct damage to megakaryocytes, dysregulation of the immune system with the production of abnormal immunoglobulins, antibodies, hyperproduction of cytokines, the influence of secondary infections, tumor infiltration of the bone marrow.

A decrease in the level of platelets in HIV infection, according to the literature, is detected in 10-15% of those infected and increases as the number of CD4 lymphocytes decreases.

Regarding the significance of the decrease in the level of platelets during the progression of infection, the opinions of the author are different. Thrombocytopenia occurs at all stages of HIV infection - from early to advanced.

Purpose of the study: to evaluate thrombocytopenia in HIV infection depending on the time of diagnosis, stage of the disease, viral load, immune status, cytological characteristics of the bone marrow.

Materials and methods: outpatient monitoring data of patients of the Samara Regional Center for the Prevention and Control of AIDS and Infectious Diseases; data from case histories of patients treated at the hospital therapy clinic of the Samara State Medical University.

Research results. Between January and July 2009, out of 348 patients, 277 patients were found to have thrombocytopenia.

We studied in more detail a group of patients with severe thrombocytopenia (platelets less than 50 x 109/l) (Fig. 1). This level of platelets was recorded in 64 patients (men - 42; women - 22). The patients' age ranged from 22 to 52 years (30.6 ± 6.1). Two patients have died. Diagnosis of HIV infection stage III - 26 patients. HIV infection stage IV A - 31 people, HIV infection stage IV B - 7 people.

Distribution of reduced platelets

Quantity

patients ____________________________________________________________

60 50 40 30 20 10 0

0- 10- 20- 30- 40- 50- 60- 70- 80- 90- 100- 1109 19 29 39 49 59 69 79 89 99 109 120

Platelet count * 109/l Fig. 1. Characterization of platelet distribution

The duration of HIV infection ranged from 1 to 9 years (5.6 ± 0.33). It should be noted the uneven distribution of thrombocytopenia according to the time of determining the infection in the first result of the immunoblot and the division of patients according to the duration of infection 9-8 years (39.06%) and 1-2 years (23.44%).

Chronic viral hepatitis had a significant number of patients with significant thrombocytopenia (25): chronic hepatitis C - 10 patients; chronic hepatitis C + B - 12; only chronic hepatitis B - 3 patients.

The mean platelet count in this group was 27.16 ± 2.21 (from 1 to 49). Viral load 60,654.62 ± 14.614 (54 to >500,000) HIV RNA copies/mL. CD4 - 431.41 ± 44.9 cells/µl (from 6 cells/µl to 1440 cells/µl). Coefficient

The correlation coefficient between the level of platelets and viral load was negative and amounted to -0.05329. The correlation coefficient between the level of platelets and CD4 was 0.096767.

For the differential diagnosis of thrombocytopenia, 45 patients with severe thrombocytopenia underwent sternal puncture with cytological evaluation. Morphological signs of bone marrow lesions were noted in 40 (87%) HIV-infected patients. The frequency of these disorders increased with the progression of HIV infection. The most common disorder is a reduced content or absence of megakaryocytes in the bone marrow (72.5%). The myeloid-erythroid ratio is usually normal or there is relative myeloid hyperplasia or dysplasia.

Dysplasia of at least one cell line is found in approximately 70% of cases and resembles primary myelodysplastic syndromes. It is difficult to distinguish it from the latter only by morphological criteria. Dysplastic maturation of granulocytes is often associated with vacuolization of granulocyte precursors. Erythrocyte dysplasia was noted in 45-50% of cases. Another change in the bone marrow was an increase in the number of lymphocytes. These disorders appear despite peripheral lymphocytopenia in about 20% of HIV-infected people. In 7.5% of patients, an increase in the number of eosinophils and plasma cells also occurred.

Conclusion. Thrombocytopenia in HIV-infected patients can occur at any stage of the disease, the frequency increases with a decrease in the number of CD4 cells, accompanied in most cases by a decrease in the content of megakaryocytes in the bone marrow, with dysplasia of other hematopoietic lineages.

LITERATURE

Pivnik A.V., Korovushkin V.G., Tuvaeva A.O. Thrombocytopenia in HIV infection // Therapeutic archive. - 2008. - 80 (7). - S. 75-80.

Pivnik A.V., Korovushkin V.G., Parkhomenko Yu.G. et al. Differential diagnosis of lymphadenopathy in HIV/AIDS // Therapeutic archive. - 2006. - 78 (4). - S. 28-32.

Aboulafia D.M., Mitsuasu R.T. Lumphomas and Other Cancers Associated With Aquired Immunodeficiency Syndrom // AIDS (Etiology, Diagnosis, Treatment and Prevention). Philadelphia-New York. - 2007. - Vol. 746. - P. 319-331.

Birx D.L., Redfield R.R., Tencer K., Fowler A., ​​Burke D.S., Tosato G. Induction of interleukin-6 during human immunodeficiency virus infection // Blood. - 2005. - 76. - P. 2303-2310.

Ratner L. HIV-1 associated thrombocytopenia // Aids Clinical Treatment Group Meeting. - July 2002. - Washington, DC.

Schneider P.A., Abrams D.I., Rayner A.A., Hohn D.C. Immunodefi ciency associated thrombocytopenic purpura (IDTP) // Arch. Surg. - 1997. - 122. - P. 1175-1178.

THROMBOCYTOPENIA IN HIV-INFECTION

R.K. Chairetdinov, I.L. Davydkin, I.V. Kurtov,

M.A. Selikhova, E.V. Zorina

Department of Hospital Therapy Samara State Medical University

Samara Regional Center for Prevention of AIDS and infectious diseases L. Tolstoy str., 142, Samara, Russia, 443001

N.V. Liseeva, V.S. Kuvaev, E.V. Tsareva

Clinic of Hospital Therapy Samara State Medical University KarlMarx Ave., 165b, Samara, Russia, 443079

Determination of the number of platelets in HIV-infected people who applied in the Samara Regional Center for Prevention and Control of AIDS and infectious diseases. Thrombocytopenia was detected in 79%, severe in 23.1%. It was recorded at any stage of HIV infection and correlated with the level of CD4 lymphocytes. 45 patients underwent sternal puncture. Morphological evaluation of bone marrow showed changes in 87% of HIV-infected The most common violation was the low content or absence of megakaryocytes in bone marrow (72.5%).

Key words: thrombocytopenia, HIV-infection.

More recently, the human immunodeficiency virus was the plague of the 20th century. Finding out about such a diagnosis was akin to a death sentence. To date, medicine has stepped far in the study of this virus. The very first and most important step towards the early diagnosis of the disease is a complete blood count for HIV, more precisely, if this disease is suspected. A general blood test is able to detect changes in the qualitative composition of the biomaterial even at the earliest stages of pathology.

Any changes and deviations are the reason for additional research in order to refute or confirm the diagnosis.

Complete blood count for suspected HIV

The following is known about the human immunodeficiency virus: it affects the body's immune cells, which gradually stop working, and, as a result, the body can no longer cope with infections. Works slowly but surely. Destroying immune cells, it gradually leads the body to inevitable death. It doesn't have to happen today or tomorrow. Life expectancy depends on how soon the signs of the disease are detected and measures are taken to eliminate them.

A complete blood count will not give you an accurate diagnosis, but will show any changes that have occurred in your serum material. They will be the starting point on the way to diagnosis and treatment.

HIV is an infection, the last point of which is AIDS. Accordingly, a complete blood count for suspected HIV infection will help your doctor provide a clear picture of your health.

In this regard, people ask the question: which blood components change their qualitative and quantitative composition in AIDS.

Only a special analysis can show HIV infection. Today, in pharmacies, you can even buy a home version of such a study. Let's talk about the general blood test. How to decode it to find out your HIV status.

Table 1

blood elements Changes in suspected HIV
Lymphocytes A sharp increase in the number of lymphocytes is one of the main signs of any infection, the immunodeficiency virus is no exception. The body tries to overcome the onset of the disease itself, increasing the level of lymphocytes as guard cells. A similar phenomenon in medicine is called lymphocytosis.

The reverse process, when the number of lymphocytes drops sharply, indicates that the body can no longer cope with the disease on its own, since immune cells practically do not work. In this case, lymphopenia is diagnosed.

mononuclear cells A special type of lymphocytes that appear in human blood when a virus of any group enters
platelets In the blood of a healthy person, platelets should normally be from 200 to 400 thousand / μl. In HIV-infected people, this indicator becomes much lower, which is a sign of poor blood clotting. As a result, both external and internal bleeding can open. It is important to know that platelet levels are dropping at a catastrophic rate.
Neutrophils Reduced production of neutrophils in the bone marrow. Neutropenia is not a direct symptom of HIV, but is considered as one of the landmarks.
red blood cells When the immunodeficiency virus enters the human body, red blood cells begin to go astray in their work. Due to this, the level of hemoglobin in the blood decreases, because the red cells do not cope with their main task. Low hemoglobin, leading to anemia of various forms, is one of the deviations in HIV infections.
ESR Increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate

Of course, such changes can be signs of absolutely any infectious disease. Only additional special tests will be able to accurately detect HIV. They will be prescribed by a doctor if they suspect something is amiss.

In case of infection with the immunodeficiency virus and with a confirmed diagnosis, a blood test for HIV is taken every three months. This is the only true and informative way to track the patient's condition.

Who and when is an HIV blood test ordered?

We have already said that this virus may not show its signs for quite some time. People live for decades without knowing that they are carriers of a terrible disease. Therefore, if HIV is suspected, a clinical blood test is more likely a preventive measure. It is good if the patient's negative HIV status is confirmed, otherwise, early diagnosis will be the key to a successful course of the disease. Taking into account all possible measures to support such patients.

So, the indications for taking a general blood test for HIV infection are:

  • planned operations. This analysis will focus not so much on the process of identifying signs of the immunodeficiency virus, but on the state of platelets before surgery. This measure will help assess the situation with blood clotting and avoid unexpected bleeding during and after surgery.
  • pregnancy planning or already occurring pregnancy. HIV infection adversely affects the prenatal state of the fetus up to serious congenital pathologies. It is important to know that a woman who is infected with AIDS and is breastfeeding her baby is passing on her disease to him. In addition, passing through the birth canal of an infected mother, the child is at risk of infection.

  • it is necessary to pass the analysis after unprotected sexual contact with a person in whom you are not sure;
  • if you got yourself a tattoo or got pierced in a dubious tattoo parlor;
  • in the case of blood donation to you from someone;

It is better to make sure once again that everything is normal than to be treated later for a terrible and painful disease.

In addition, medical workers and people who deal with non-sterile needles and surgical instruments are at increased risk.

Various body signals also indicate the need for this study.

Signs of HIV

Changes in well-being should be the first bell to go to the doctor. No one argues that it can be simple fatigue or a beginning acute respiratory disease. However, it is not uncommon for the immunodeficiency virus to be hidden by chronic fatigue and nervousness.

HIV symptoms:

  • Temperature, chills, swollen lymph nodes, headaches. In a word, many manifestations of the common cold. In most cases, these symptoms pass quickly, the person feels healthy and alert, not suspecting that the disease has already begun to progress.
  • Tuberculosis, pneumonia, herpes. Most often, these diseases occur simultaneously. HIV in this case can be determined by the futility of the prescribed treatment. The therapy does not give results, because the human immune system is completely "eaten" by the virus and no longer performs its protective functions.
  • Sudden weight loss combined with apathy, loss of appetite. Sometimes all this is accompanied by fever and diarrhea. All these are indicators of a serious infection that the body can no longer cope with on its own.

Research Methods

You can detect the immunodeficiency virus by passing a narrow-profile analysis for HIV status. Blood will be examined in two main ways:

  1. enzyme immunoassay

The first option is the most informative. With it, it is possible to determine the presence of a virus in the body even 1.5 - 2 months after it enters the cells and tissues. The presence of antibodies to immunodeficiency is determined. No antibodies, no virus. The result may be influenced by the time of infection. Usually the virus is activated within 2-3 months, but sometimes the periods increase and a “window” appears, in which it is impossible to obtain a reliable result.

As a rule, a second AIDS test is scheduled after six months.

The sooner HIV is diagnosed, the more successful the treatment of this disease will be. Currently, doctors can significantly extend the life of a patient infected with the virus at the initial stage of the disease. The results of a general blood test are also one of the methods for diagnosing this terrible disease. They show changes already in the first period of infection with the human immunodeficiency virus.

About the benefits of a CBC

By blood parameters, one can judge whether a person is sick or healthy, find the cause of the disease, study the causative agent of the disease and what state the immune system is in.

When conducting all studies, any disease is detected, but it takes a lot of biological material, extra time and effort is wasted. So doctors do things differently. All studies begin with the delivery of a general blood test, thanks to which it can be concluded that a person is healthy, diagnose a disease or continue further examination, in addition, it has several advantages: it is done quickly, is inexpensive and indicative. But can a general blood test show HIV?

About changes in outcomes with HIV infection

A frequently asked question is: Do key blood counts change in people infected with the virus?

It should be noted right away that the pathogen itself cannot be determined in this study. But if a person is HIV-infected, then characteristic changes can be detected in the results.

What does a complete blood count for HIV show? The main indicators of UAC change as follows:

  1. At the initial stage of the development of the disease, the number of lymphocytes is increased. The human body is not yet weakened by the disease and is struggling with it. The patient develops lymphocytosis.
  2. Further, the immune system gradually weakens, which affects the number of lymphocytes, they will decrease. The patient develops lymphopenia. The main sign of retrovirus activation is a decrease in the value of T-lymphocytes. Lymphocytes in the adult population normally range from 20 to 40 percent, in children 30-60 percent.
  3. Granular leukocytes or neutrophils, when infected with a pathogen, begin to fight first. This triggers the mechanism of phagocytosis, which is expressed in a decrease in the number of neutrophils. According to the results of the study, neutropenia is diagnosed.
  4. Mononuclear cells (atypical cells) increase. Their main task is to destroy bacteria and microbes. If a person is healthy, a blood test does not reveal atypical cells.
  5. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) increases.
  6. In the presence of the disease, the result of blood sampling will show a decrease in the level of hemoglobin, which indicates the development of anemia or leukemia in the patient. Hemoglobin is an iron-containing protein that can interact with carbon dioxide and oxygen.
  7. In the presence of an infection, a decrease in the level of platelets is observed. The role of platelets is to ensure the process of blood clotting. As a result of this, prolonged internal and external bleeding in people infected with the pathogen.

In HIV-infected people, a general analysis study makes it possible to suspect the presence of an infection, but HIV cannot be detected, since changes in the main indicators of a general analysis are also characteristic of other diseases. But the doctor, in case of poor results, will write out a referral for a special analysis.

In addition, if a person is sick with this disease, the doctor, using the results of the analysis, monitors the patient's condition and prescribes appropriate treatment in case of changes in the blood.

What is characteristic of HIV-infected people in the general blood test

Doctors know what a general blood test shows with AIDS or with HIV. If there is even the slightest doubt whether the patient is sick with this dangerous disease or not, he is immediately sent for additional research. What a specialist can see from his results:

  1. The doctor immediately sees violations in the leukocyte formula, occurring under conditions of changes in blood coagulation.
  2. Of particular concern should be an increase in the ESR value, if there are no obvious symptoms of any infection in the patient.

When are blood tests ordered?

The pathogen, once in the human body, often does not detect itself for more than ten years. And only chance helps to detect the disease.

  1. It is customary to refer people to the procedure before the operation in order to reduce the likelihood of complications due to deviations from the norm, including platelets.
  2. When a pregnant woman is infected with HIV, the virus is transmitted to the baby through mother's milk and blood, which will cause the rapid development of secondary diseases. Pregnancy is a reason to schedule a blood test for a woman.
  3. During sexual contact without the use of protective measures with an unverified partner.
  4. If there is a desire to be examined after the piercing and remove the suspicion of infection with the virus.
  5. Donors and medical workers often have moments of contact with infected blood, so there is a need for an early examination.

When examined in a conventional laboratory, capillary blood is taken from a finger, but at present, modernly equipped clinics take biological material from a vein. Depending on the result of the study, the doctor decides whether to prescribe additional examinations to the patient in order to make sure whether or not HIV infection is present in the human body.

About the basic rules of procedure in HIV-infected people

  1. If people are infected with the virus, then you need to know that a complete blood count should be done periodically once a quarter. This is necessary so that the doctor knows what the dynamics of the development of the disease is and corrects the treatment process, if necessary.
  2. At the same time, many people have a question: if a patient has HIV and a general blood test needs to be taken with several more tests, can biological material be taken from a vein for everyone at once? The composition of capillary and venous blood have slight differences, but both can be used for general purposes. Therefore, when taking blood from a vein, you can simultaneously use it for general analysis. But then you need to decide and always take blood from a finger or from a vein.
  3. To obtain more correct data, the same conditions under which blood sampling takes place are of great importance. Therefore, for more accurate results, this procedure is done in the same laboratory facility.
  4. With HIV infection, several tests are taken at once, as a rule, a sampling is also made from a vein. Therefore, the surest option is to abstain from food before the procedure.
  5. In the early morning, people have an increase in the number of red blood cells, so it is advisable to take blood at the same hours.
  6. If a person nevertheless decided to donate capillary blood from a finger, then it is best to use a lancet. It differs from the scarifier by the presence of a sharp and thin needle. Usually the procedure is done with a scarifier, which causes slight pain due to the fact that there are a large number of nerve endings at the end of the finger and the spike is not thin enough. In this regard, the puncture using a lancet is painless. True, it costs more.

Unlike other cells in the human and animal body, it does not have a nucleus. The cells are produced by megakaryocytes.

These are already large cells located in the bone marrow. Platelets are important for blood clotting.

If the vessel is broken, then the biological fluid begins to flow out of it. Platelets (otherwise platelets) clog the broken vessel.

Thus, these substances become an obstacle in the way of blood flow.

If it has a low level of platelets, then a person can die from bleeding. And this applies not only to citizens with HIV infection, but also.

They may also be deficient in these substances.

Decreased platelets in HIV-infected people

The causes of thrombocytopenia in HIV-positive people can be different. These include:

  1. HIV infects the cells that make platelets. HIV as the underlying disease leads to their decline.
  2. Thrombocytopenia in HIV is characterized by the fact that some drugs have a negative effect on the red bone marrow. Examples include nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors.
  3. The body's immune system can create antibodies that target platelets. This form is called hemorrhagic purpura.

A low platelet level in a person's blood can be treated with dietary adjustments as well as a healthy lifestyle.

For patients whose platelet count is severely low and this is affecting their lives, various medications are suggested by the doctor for treatment.

But it is necessary to take medicines only as directed by a doctor, for example, Derinat or.

HIV infection is a disease caused by the immunodeficiency virus. The pathology is characterized by the development of various secondary infections and all kinds of malignant neoplasms. These violations occur as a result of large-scale dysfunction of the immune system. HIV infection can last from several months or even weeks to decades. Then the disease takes the form of AIDS - directly acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Lethal outcome in the absence of AIDS therapy occurs within 1-5 years.

The disease at its various stages is diagnosed using several studies:

  • screening test - detection of antibodies to the virus in the patient's blood using enzyme immunoassay;
  • polymerase chain reaction;
  • tests for immune status;
  • viral load tests - this procedure is carried out with a positive screening test.

In addition, the immunodeficiency virus adversely affects the work of all body systems. As a result, the development of an infection in a patient is evidenced, for example, by the results of a clinical blood test.

Attention! A clinical blood test does not reveal the presence of HIV infection or AIDS in a patient. However, if a person has multiple abnormalities during diagnosis, he is recommended to be tested for the presence of antibodies to the virus.

The human immunodeficiency virus is a member of the retrovirus family. Once in the patient's body, it provokes the development of a slowly progressive disease of HIV infection, which gradually takes on a more severe and difficult to treat form - AIDS.

Attention! AIDS is a complex of diseases that occurs in people with a positive HIV status. The pathological process develops as a result of disturbances in the functioning of the immune system.

After penetration into the body, the infectious agent is introduced into the vessels. In this case, the virus attaches to the blood cells responsible for the reactive function, that is, for the functioning of the immune system. Within these uniform elements, HIV multiplies and spreads to all human organs and systems. To a greater extent, lymphocytes suffer from pathogen attack. That is why one of the characteristic signs of the disease is long-lasting lymphadenitis and lymphadenopathy.

Infectious agents are able to change their structure over time, which does not allow the patient's immunity to timely detect the presence of the virus and destroy it. Gradually, the functioning of the immune system is increasingly inhibited, as a result of which a person loses the ability to defend himself against various infections and various pathological processes in the body. The patient develops various disorders, there are complications of even the mildest diseases, for example, acute respiratory infections.

Attention! In the absence of therapy, secondary, that is, opportunistic, diseases can lead to death 8-10 years after the virus enters the human body. Properly selected treatment can extend the patient's life up to 70-80 years.

HIV symptoms

With the development of HIV infection, the patient begins to worry about the following symptoms:

  • rashes on the skin, stomatitis, inflammation of the epithelial membranes;
  • lymphadenitis, with the transition of HIV to AIDS, lymphadenopathy develops - the defeat of most of the lymph nodes in the patient's body;
  • nausea and vomiting;
  • loss of appetite and weight, anorexia;
  • myalgia and cephalgia;
  • sore throat, tonsillitis;
  • cough, shortness of breath;
  • the appearance of plaque on the tongue and in the throat;
  • stool disorders, tenesmus - painful urge to defecate;
  • increased sweating;
  • decreased vision.

Initially, the patient may experience only one of the above symptoms. As the pathological process develops, the number of characteristic signs of HIV infection increases.

Complete blood count for HIV infection

In some cases, patients seek help from a specialist with complaints of frequent colds, weakness and drowsiness, a general deterioration in well-being, etc. In this case, the doctor prescribes various studies, including a general blood test. The identification of significant deviations from the norm in this case is the reason for the mandatory screening test for HIV.

A general or clinical blood test is a diagnostic procedure performed in the laboratory. This study allows you to obtain information about various blood parameters: the number of erythrocytes, leukocytes and platelets; erythrocyte sedimentation rate, hemoglobin content, etc.

Clinical study of blood parameters (normal)

IndexWomenMen
Content of erythrocytes3.7-4.7x10^124-5.1x10^9
Platelet count181-320x10^9181-320x10^9
White blood cell count4-9x10^94-9x10^9
Percentage of lymphocytes19-41% 19-41%
Erythrocyte sedimentation rate2-15 mm/hour1-10 mm/hour
Hemoglobin121-141 grams/liter131-161 grams/liter
color index0,86-1,15 0,86-1,15

Attention! Clinical analysis is one of the most commonly used. It is prescribed both to assess the general condition of the patient during a preventive examination, and to confirm or exclude a preliminary diagnosis.

With the help of this study, it is possible to identify a number of pathologies: diseases of a bacterial, fungal and viral nature, inflammatory processes in the patient's body, malignant tumors, anemia and other disorders in the functioning of the hematopoietic organs, helminthiases, etc. When conducting a general blood test, a specialist has the opportunity to obtain information about the following indicators:

  1. red blood cells- red blood cells. Their main function is to carry oxygen and carbon dioxide. An increased number of red blood cells may indicate the formation of carcinomas, polycystic kidney disease, Cushing's disease, etc. A lack of blood cells is a sign of overhydration, pregnancy, or anemia.

  2. platelets are colorless blood cells formed from bone marrow cells. Ensure normal blood clotting. Their excess signals an inflammatory process in the patient's body, leukemia or polycythemia - a tumor process of the hematopoietic system. The disadvantage is about various types of anemia and thrombocytopenic purpura.

  3. Leukocytes- white blood cells. Necessary for recognition and destruction of pathogenic components and protection of cellular immunity from bacteria and viruses. Leukocytes are divided into several types. An increased number of leukocytes is a sign of the presence of malignant tumors in the patient's body, infectious diseases, and various tissue damage. With a lack of these cells, it should be assumed that the patient has bone marrow damage, viral pathologies, acute leukemia, etc.

  4. Hemoglobin- blood pigment of erythrocytes. Provides transportation of oxygen and carbon dioxide. Elevated hemoglobin indicates dehydration and thickening of the blood, reduced - anemia.

When making a diagnosis and prescribing further examinations, the doctor takes into account both the blood test results and the results of the patient's physical examination, his complaints and anamnesis.

Blood counts for HIV infection

Clinical analysis makes it possible to see the following changes in blood counts in an HIV-infected person:

  1. Leukocytosis- an increase in the level of leukocytes in the blood plasma. At the same time, the specialist pays attention not only to the indicator of the absolute number of leukocytes, but also to the ratio of all their types. Lymphocytosis is most common in people with HIV infection. This is a pathology in which the content of lymphocytes in the peripheral bloodstream increases. Such a violation is noted in patients in the early stages of infection. By producing more white blood cells, the body tries to stop the spread of the virus through various systems. Leukocytosis may also indicate the development of various infectious and inflammatory processes. To accurately determine the cause of this violation, it is necessary to conduct a comprehensive examination.
  2. Lymphopenia- a decrease in the level of lymphocytes in the patient's blood. In patients with HIV infection, the pathogen infects CD4 T cells, a type of lymphocyte. Also, lymphopenia can develop as a result of a decrease in the production of lymphocytes due to the dysfunction of the lymph nodes that has developed in the patient. If the virus has spread throughout the body, then the patient develops acute viremia. This condition leads to accelerated destruction of lymphocytes and their excretion into the respiratory tract.

  3. Thrombocytopenia, i.e. low platelet count, is one of the common pathological conditions in HIV-infected people. Such a violation is due to the fact that the pathogen infects the cells that produce platelets. As a result, the number of platelets in the patient's body rapidly decreases. Thrombocytopenia in a patient is manifested by reduced blood clotting, frequent bleeding, a tendency to hematomas and hemorrhages.
  4. Neutropenia- a decrease in the number of neutrophilic granulocytes. These are special blood cells that are produced in the red bone marrow. In patients with HIV infection or AIDS, the production of neutrophils is impaired and their destruction by antibodies is accelerated.
  5. Anemia. In patients, due to a decrease in the number of red blood cells, the hemoglobin content in the blood falls rapidly. As a result, organs and tissues begin to receive less oxygen necessary for their normal functioning.


Attention! During diagnostics, atypical mononuclear cells - lymphocytes, which the patient's body produces to fight various viruses, including HIV infection, can be detected in the patient's analyzes.

It is worth considering that these violations of blood counts may indicate the presence of not only HIV infection, but also a number of other pathologies. Therefore, a clinical blood test is not a specific method for detecting immunodeficiency virus. To make a diagnosis, the specialist must prescribe additional tests.

How to prepare for analysis

Blood sampling for clinical research is carried out mainly from 7 to 10 am. Before the analysis, approximately 8 hours before the diagnosis, it is necessary to refuse to eat food, exclude coffee, tea and alcohol from the diet. It is allowed to drink non-carbonated water immediately before the study. Excessive physical and mental stress can also adversely affect the results of the study.


Attention! If you are taking any pharmacological drugs, you must inform the specialist. Many medications can affect blood counts.

If the patient does not follow the rules for preparing for the test, the results of the study may be unreliable. If the obtained indicators deviate from the norm, the doctor prescribes a second diagnosis.

A general analysis gives an idea of ​​the various parameters of the blood. It does not accurately detect HIV infection in humans. However, deviations in indicators indicate the development of a pathological process in the patient's body and are an indication for a specific analysis of a screening test for HIV.

Video - What changes are present in the blood with HIV?



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