Hematological manifestations of human immunodeficiency virus infection and the effect of highly active anti-retroviral therapy on cytopenia.

Background: The aim of this study is to investigate the hematological manifestations of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, the risk factors for cytopenia, and the effect of highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) on cytopenia.

Methods: Medical records of patients treated for HIV at the Seoul National University Hospital from January 2005 to March 2010 were retrospectively reviewed. To determine the impact of HIV itself, we excluded HIV patients who had other conditions that could have resulted in hematological manifestations.