Comparative study of white blood cell level in HIV positive patients under ARVS and those without ARVS "Case of Gisenyi District Hospital˝

Leucopenia has a serious impact on the quality of live for AIDS patients. Among patients with HIV/ AIDS, leucopenia is statistically a significant predictor of progression to AIDS and is independently associated with an increased risk of death. HIV disease progression is about 5 times more common in people with leucopenia. Rate of serious leucopenia has dropped considerably since people started using ARV in HIV treatment although almost half of people living with HIV still have mild to severe leucopenia. The aim of this study was to compare white blood cell and their differential levels in HIV positive patients. White blood cells level could decrease in HIV positive patients under ARVs and those without ARVs. The differential could vary in both HIV patients started ARV and others not yet starting. HIV positive patients under ARVs could have lower CD4 cell level than those without ARVs.