Evaluating the utility of early laboratory monitoring of antiretroviral-induced haematological and hepatic toxicity in HIV-infected persons in Cameroon.

Background: The antiretroviral therapy (ART) program of Cameroon recommends routine laboratory monitoring of haematological toxicity if a regimen contains zidovudine (AZT) and of hepatotoxicity for NVP-containing regimens on the 15th day after ART initiation. This study aimed to assess the relevance of this repeated laboratory measurements considered to be precocious, inaccessible and unavailable in a resource limited setting.

Methods: A retrospective cohort of HIV-infected patients of age 15 years and above enrolled for first line ART at The Regional Hospital of Nkongsamba in Cameroon. We monitored liver transaminases and blood cell indices after two weeks of ART initiation for any significant change from baseline. Factors associated with abnormal changes were examined using a multivariable logistic regression model with random effects.

Results: Enrolled were 154 patients of whom 105 (68.2%) were females. The mean ALAT (alanine aminotransferase) level at baseline was 17.87 ± 20.48 U/L increasing to 19.25 ± 12.01 U/L at two weeks of follow-up (p = 0.53) while the mean ASAT (aspartate aminotransferase) level increased from 17.32 ± 11.87 U/L at baseline to 21.02 ± 14.12 U/L at two weeks of follow-up (p = 0.02). We observed a drop in the mean haemoglobin concentration from 10.86 ± 2.63 g/dL at baseline to 10.36 ± 1.92 g/dL at the second week of follow-up (p = 0.02). The prevalence of elevated liver enzymes and anaemia after two weeks of treatment were 7.5% and 39.2% respectively. Stavudine containing regimens were most likely to induce hepatotoxicity [adjusted Odd Ratio (aOR) = 36.52, 95% CI: 1.44-924.38, p=0.029]. Baseline anaemia (aOR=60.08, 95% CI: 13.36-270.20, p < 0.0001) and body weight ≥ 60kg (aOR=0.28, 95% CI: 0.09-0.83, p = 0.02) were associated with anaemia at follow-up.

Conclusion: There was no significant rise in the mean level of transaminases and thus scheduling their routine monitoring at the end of the second week could be skipped. Conversely, the drop in mean haemoglobin level had little clinical importance but the high prevalence of anaemia after a fortnight on treatment suggests a targeted instead of a routine monitoring; focusing on the high risk population with baseline anaemia and low body weight.