Low seroprevalence of cryptococcal antigenaemia in patients with advanced HIV infection enrolling in an antiretroviral programme in Ghana
Loading...
Date
2011-01
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Tropical Medicine and International Health
Abstract
objectives To determine the prevalence of cryptococcal antigenaemia in a clinic population with
advanced HIV infection, with a view to giving antifungal therapy to those testing positive.
methods Serum samples from adults with CD4 count <100 cells ⁄mm3 presenting to a large HIV clinic
in Kumasi, Ghana, were tested retrospectively for cryptococcal antigenaemia using a latex agglutination
assay, and clinical and demographic data extracted from case notes.
results Of 92 samples tested, two were positive thus giving a prevalence of 2% (95% CI, 0–5.2%).
conclusions The prevalence of cryptococcal antigenaemia in patients with advanced HIV infection
enrolling in an antiretroviral programme appears to be low in Kumasi, suggesting that the value of
routine testing of outpatients diagnosed with advanced HIV infection may be limited in this population.
Description
An article published by Tropical Medicine and International Health and is available at doi:10.1111/j.1365-3156.2010.02683.x
Keywords
Cryptococcus, HIV, Africa, epidemiology, cryptococcal antigen
Citation
Tropical Medicine and International Health volume 16 no 1 pp 53–56