ABH Prevalence, Cd4 and Cd8 Levels in Secretors and Non-Secretors of ABH Antigens Among HIV Positive Individuals in Abakaliki Area of South-East Nigeria.

ABSTRACT Sixty(60)patients (31 males and 29 females) with Human immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) disease attending Ebonyi State University Teaching Hospital (EBSUTH) Abakaliki were used for the study. Sixty (60) age and sex matched apparently healthy individuals(34 males and 26 females) who were screened three months prior to study and then rescreened immediately the study started, served as the control group. Secretor status of the groups (test and control) were determined, using neutralization and agglutination inhibition technique. Levels of CD4 and CD8 were determined using Partec Cyflow 2.4 Microsoft. The difference in the mean values obtained in the 2 groups was tested for significance using the student’s t- test at 95% confidence interval. Percentage distribution of secretors was 95 (79.2%), non secretors 25 (20.8%). Persons living with HIV (PLWH) secretors was 41 (78.3%), non secretors 13 (21.7%).There was statistical significant difference (P0.05) in mean values of CD8 counts in male test non secretors when compared with male control non secretors, CD4 and CD8 of female test non secretors when compared with female control non secretors. In conclusion, the percentage distribution of secretors and non secretors among Persons Living with HIV/AIDS is the same as that of normal populace. Level of CD8 was reduced in secretors.