Now, ART regardless of CD4 count

MAJOR RELIEF Earlier, patients were put on antiretroviral therapy only when the count was below 350

LUCKNOW: Pregnant women and TB patients living with HIV can now start antiretroviral therapy (ART) regardless of their CD4 count.

Earlier, patients were put on ART only when the CD4 count was below 350.

“The decision will help many such patients,” said Prof AK Tripathi, HoD, clinical haematology at King George’s Medical University, who started the ART centre here.

CD4 count is a lab test that measures the number of CD4 T lymphocytes (CD4 cells) in blood sample. CD4 cells are a type of white blood cells that fight infection and their count indicates the stage of HIV or AIDS in a patient. “Monitoring the count closely and reacting only when it comes below 350 was tedious both for the patient as well as the doctor because the count is linked with body immunity,” said Tripathi.

If there is a sudden dip in the count, the patient gets related troubles and this is something important for pregnant women who often have to come from far off places to get their counts checked at antiretroviral therapy centres.

“At present, 95,000 people living with HIV are registered with the 38 ART centres in Uttar Pradesh and about 45,000 are taking ART medicines,” said Dr Himanshu, in-charge, KGMU ART centre.

“HIV and TB co-infection is a big problem. TB infection can be really dangerous for patients, especially because HIV makes immunity low,” added Tripathi.

He said during pregnancy the focus till now was to save the child from getting infected and for the mother CD4 was made the benchmark.

But now irrespective of the count, the mother will be put on ART.