Purpose:
To evaluate CD4+ T-lymphocyte count and serum HIV RNA levelin HIV-infected individuals with retinal microvasculopathy.
Methods:
CD4+ T-lymphocyte count and serum HIV RNA level were analysedretrospectively in 163 eyes of 105 HIV-infected individualswith retinal microvasculopathy who had ophthalmological examinationsbetween 2001 June and 2006 December.
Results:
Fifty-eight cases (55.2%) were bilateral and 47 cases (44.8%)were unilateral. Twenties were 16 cases (15.2%), thirties were36 cases (34.3%), fourties were 20 cases (19.0%), fifties were21 cases (20.0%), sixties were 12 cases (11.4%), and the averageage was 42.4±12.2-year-old (mean±S.D.). Maleswere 95 cases (90.5%) and females were 10 cases (9.5%). CD4+T-lymphocyte count was shown in figure 1. CD4+ T-lymphocytecount was 76.9±80.9/µl (mean±S.D.) and lessthan 200/µl in 149 eyes (91.3%). CD4+ T-lymphocyte countin other 14 eyes (8.6%) was over 200/µl. Of these 14 eyes,serum HIV RNA level was over 2.1X104 copies/ml in 13 eyes (92.9%),and the previous laboratory data of CD4+ T-lymphocyte countwas less than 200/µl in 3 eyes (21.4%). Serum HIV RNAlevel was shown in figure 2. Serum HIV RNA level was 4.3±5.5X105copies/ml (mean±S.D.) and over 1.0X104 copies/ml in 144eyes (88.3%). Serum HIV RNA level was less than 1.0X104 copies/mlin other 19 eyes (11.7%). Of these 19 eyes, CD4+ T-lymphocytecount was less than 200/µl in 16 eyes (84.2%), and thenext laboratory data of serum HIV RNA level was 9.1X104 copies/mlin 2 eyes (10.5%).
Conclusions:
CD4+ T-lymphocyte count was low and serum HIV RNA level washigh in many eyes in HIV-infected individuals with retinal microvasculopathy.
Keywords: AIDS/HIV • clinical laboratory testing • clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: risk factor assessment