Plasma folate studies in HIV-positive patients at the Lagos university teaching hospital, Nigeria.

Introduction: In various studies globally, the prevalence of anemia in persons with HIV infection range from 10 to 20% at initial presentation, and anemia is diagnosed in 70 to 80% of these patients over the course of HIV disease. The etiology of anemia in this group of patients has not been fully established, thus a need to evaluate the role of plasma folate as a possible etiological factor.

Objective: This study was set to determine plasma folate levels in newly diagnosed, treatment naïve, HIV-positive patients, and relate this to other hematological changes.