Prevalence and clinical and laboratory characteristics of kidney disease in anti-retroviral-naive human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients in South-South Nigeria

Since the emergence of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) about three decades ago, several renal disorders have been reported as common complications of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. These renal disorders result from diverse etiologies. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to determine the prevalence and clinical and laboratory characteristics of anti-retroviral-naοve HIV-infected patients with impaired kidney disorder in South-South Nigeria. This study was conducted on patients presenting at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City in South-South Nigeria for six months. The patients' demographic data and clinical, hematological and biochemical parameters were assessed. Their glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was calculated and the protein excretion was assessed from the protein- creatinine ratio. Data were analyzed using statistical software program SPSS version 15.0. Three-hundred and eighty-three patients with a mean age of 35.39±8.78 years and a male: female ratio of 1:1 were studied; 53.3% had evidence of kidney disorder. The main clinical features in patients with kidney disorder were evidence of fluid retention, urinary symptoms, pallor and encephalopathy. The mean systolic and diastolic blood pressures were 115.33±17.17 and 72.33±14.31 mm Hg, respectively. The mean estimated GFR was 52.5 mL/min/1.73 m 2 . Patients with kidney disorder had higher proteinuria (P=0.001), lower mean CD4 cell count and packed cell volume (P=0.019 and 0.001, respectively). Kidney disorder is a common complication in HIV-infected patients, and they have clinical and laboratory anomalies. Screening of HIV/AIDS patients at the time of diagnosis will facilitate early diagnosis of kidney disorders in them.