A laboratory dashboard for CrAg has been integrated into a broader SA HIV programme dashboard, with two key indicators: CrAg screening coverage and prevalence of cryptococcal
antigenaemia. Good linkage to laboratory CrAg results is the cornerstone of this programme.
Hence, this prompted the study which aims at finding occurrence of and risk factors associated with Cryptococcal
antigenaemia in ART naive patients with HIV.
Laboratory evidence of CMV infection was confirmed by the following tests: CMV PCR (n=136), CMV pp65
antigenaemia test (n=15), CMV viral culture (n=9), and CMV serology (n=4).
Significant age variation in HBV
antigenaemia was seen.
HIV-infected adults with a [CD4.sup.+] T-lymphocyte count <100 cells/[micro]l are recommended to be screened for cryptococcal
antigenaemia. If screening is initiated by a clinician (medical practitioner or nurse trained in nurse-initiated management of ART (NIMART)) and not performed reflexively in the laboratory, then the expert panel recommends that screening be restricted to: ART-naive adults with [CD4.sup.+]T-lymphocyte count <100 cells/[micro]l and no prior CM.
Prevalence of hepatitis B
antigenaemia in Mayo Hospital Lahore.
Filarial
antigenaemia was low and continued to decrease significantly in the age group 15-25 years in villages receiving MDA+VC in contrast to villages receiving only MA.
However, there was no significant difference in
antigenaemia levels between pre-treatment (day 0) and PT samples collected on day 7 onwards till day 365.
Plasma cytomegalovirus DNA, pp65
antigenaemia and a low CD4 cell count remain risk factors for cytomegalovirus disease in patients receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy.