Clinical chemistry profiles in injection heroin users from Coastal Region, Kenya

Abstract

Background Although the co-burden of injection drug use and HIV is increasing in Africa, little is known about the laboratory markers of injection drug use and anti-retroviral treatment (ART) in Kenyan injection drug users. This study, therefore, aimed at determining the clinical chemistry profiles and identifying the key laboratory markers of HIV infection during ART in injection heroin users (IHUs). Methods Clinical chemistry measurements were performed on serum samples collected from HIV-1 infected ART-experienced (n= 22), naive (n= 16) and HIV-1 negative (n= 23) IHUs, and healthy controls (n= 15) from Mombasa, coastal Kenya. Results HIV uninfected IHUs had lower alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels (P= 0.023) as ART-exposed IHUs exhibited lower albumin (P= 0.014) and higher AST to platelet index (APRI)(P< 0.0001). All IHUs presented with lower aspartate aminotransferase to ALT …