Prevalence of Cryptococcal Antigenemia Among Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection or Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome Patients Attending the Retroviral Clinic in University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital.

CONTEXT: Cryptococcosis is an opportunistic fungal infection caused by Cryptococcus neoformans and gatti. The disease is associated with significant morbidity and mortality and commonly occur in people with human immunodeficiency virus infection or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS). Cryptococcal meningitis is the dreaded infection caused by Cryptococcus neoformance with very poor management outcome.

AIMS: In this study we determined the seroprevalence and risk factors of cryptococcosis among HIV/AIDS patients attending the antiretroviral clinic in University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH), Maiduguri, Borno state.

SETTINGS AND

DESIGN

This was a hospital based cross sectional study that was carried out in UMTH from August 2020 to November 2021.

METHODS AND MATERIAL: A total of 161 HIV positive patients participating, who were drawn using systematic sampling technique. A semi structured questionnaire was used to collect socio- demographic characteristics as well as risk factors variables. Blood samples were collected in an EDTA container and tested for CrAg and CD4 count using Mascia Brunelli s.p.a Milano, Italy, and Partec Cyflow fluorescent cell sorter, Germany respectively. Ethical approval was obtained from the ethical review committee of UMTH.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Data was analyzed using Microsoft excel 2013 and Epi-info version 7.2.

RESULTS

We found a cryptococcal antigenemia prevalence of 28.6%. The mean age was 42 years (SD 9.9) with a male: Female ratio of 1.1:1. Significant risk factors for Cryptococcal antigenemia were IV line use [OR: 2.55 (1.24-6.04)] using bivariate analysis while multivariate analysis showed poultry farming [AOR: 2.76 (2.89-13.93)], low CD4 T-cells count (<200,000 cells/µl of blood) [AOR: 3.48 (4.63-29.62)], and high HIV viral load (>10,000 viral copies/mL of blood) [AOR: 5.78 (3.72-9.54)] as significant risk factors for cryptococcosis.

CONCLUSIONS

This study found a high cryptococcal antigenemia among HIV infected patients with low CD4+ T-cell count, and high HIV viral load. Poultry farming is associated with cryptococcosis.