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. 2025 Jun 20;8(6):e70905.
doi: 10.1002/hsr2.70905. eCollection 2025 Jun.

Qualitative and Quantitative Blood Cell Disorders Among High-Level Antiretroviral Therapy-Experienced Children in Northwest Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Dereje Mengesha Berta  1 , Biruk Bayleyegn  1 , Solomon Getawa  1 , Zewudu Mulatie  2 , Tiruneh Adane  1 , Elias Chane  3 , Bisrat Birke Teketelew  1 , Melak Aynalem  1
Affiliations

Qualitative and Quantitative Blood Cell Disorders Among High-Level Antiretroviral Therapy-Experienced Children in Northwest Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Dereje Mengesha Berta et al. Health Sci Rep. .

Abstract

Background and aims: The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and its treatment are commonly associated with blood cell morphological and numerical abnormalities. As a result, routine examination of blood disorders among HIV patients is necessary to minimize related complications and improve patients' prognosis. Therefore, the aim of the current study is also to assess quantitative and qualitative blood cell disorders among high-level antiretroviral therapy (HAART)-experienced children.

Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 213 HIV-infected children from June to July 2021. For laboratory analysis, about 5 mL of venous blood was collected and transferred to an EDTA test tube for a complete blood cell count. Besides, the shape, size, color, distribution, cytoplasmic inclusions of red blood cells (RBCs), and structures of other major cell lines were meticulously evaluated using a stained blood smear preparation. The data were entered into EPI-Info version 3.5.3 and then transferred to SPSS version 25 for analysis. Descriptive statistics were summarized as percentages, means, and standard deviations.

Results: RBC abnormalities, such as poikilocytosis and anisocytosis, were observed in 54.4% and 26.3% of patients, respectively. Additionally, microcytosis, giant cells, and target cells were observed in 20.7%, 12.7%, and 23% of patients, respectively. In this study, the most common quantitative RBC abnormality was anemia, occurring in 35 (16.4%) of patients. Regarding white blood cell abnormalities, leukopenia and lymphopenia were detected among 12.2% and 10.3% of study participants, respectively. However, only 1.9% of the patients had a quantitative platelet disorder.

Conclusion: Various quantitative and qualitative blood disorders were observed in HAART-experienced HIV patients. Therefore, morphology examination together with full blood count may yield a speedy diagnosis, rationalized diagnostic work-up, and timely initiation of treatment for hematological complications, especially for HIV infected children.

Keywords: AIDS; Ethiopia; Gondar; HIV; blood morphology.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Quantitative blood cell abnormality among HAART‐experienced children at the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, 2021.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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