The status of liver enzymes in patients of newly diagnosed human immuno-deficiency virus and their correlation with CD4 counts in a tertiary centre of North Eastern region of India

Authors

  • Poonam Gupta Department of Medicine, Moti Lal Nehru Medical College, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India
  • Archit Kalra Department of Medicine, Moti Lal Nehru Medical College, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India
  • Ajeet K. Chaurasia Department of Medicine, Moti Lal Nehru Medical College, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India https://orcid.org/0009-0008-3887-9731
  • Manoj Mathur Department of Medicine, Moti Lal Nehru Medical College, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India
  • Satyam Kumar Department of Medicine, Moti Lal Nehru Medical College, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India
  • Kamalendra Singh Department of Medicine, Moti Lal Nehru Medical College, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India
  • Sharad Varma Department of Medicine, Moti Lal Nehru Medical College, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18203/2349-3933.ijam20253345

Keywords:

Newly diagnosed HIV, Liver enzymes, CD4 count

Abstract

Background: Liver dysfunction is a common complication in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected individuals due to factors like co-infections, antiretroviral therapy (ART) toxicity, and immune dysregulation. Evaluating liver enzyme abnormalities can help predict disease progression and guide therapy.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 100 newly diagnosed HIV-positive individuals. Liver function was assessed using serum glutamate-oxaloacetate transaminase (SGOT) and serum glutamate-pyruvate transaminase (SGPT) levels, and immune status was measured by CD4 counts. The correlation between liver enzymes and CD4 levels was analyzed statistically.

Results: The study population had a male predominance (70%) with a mean age of 37.29±13.01 years. A weak positive correlation was found between CD4 count and both SGOT and SGPT levels. Liver enzyme derangements were more prominent in patients with lower CD4 counts, indicating advancing immunosuppression.

Conclusion: This study highlights the universally raised liver enzymes in all the patients of newly diagnosed HIV indicating hepatic injury by the virus itself. Medical literature regarding the probable mechanism is all together lacking. There was minimal positive correlation found between CD4 count and liver enzymes.

Metrics

Metrics Loading ...

References

Wood S, Won SH, Hsieh HC, Lalani T, Kronmann K, Maves RC, et al. Risk Factors Associated With Chronic Liver Enzyme Elevation in Persons With HIV Without Hepatitis B or C Coinfection in the Combination Antiretroviral Therapy Era. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2021;8(3):ofab076. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/ofid/ofab076

Abah C, Olowookere B, Nwachukwu A. Measurement of CD4+ Cells and Liver Functions in HIV Patients on Antiretroviral Therapy. Ann Int Med Den Res. 2021;7(5):22-7.

Pol S, Lebray P, Vallet-Pichard A. HIV infection and hepatic enzyme abnormalities: intricacies of the pathogenic mechanisms. Clin Infect Dis. 2004;38:S65-72. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1086/381499

Akhtar A, Fatima S, Saeed H, Chow T, Khan A. HIV-HCV co-infection: prevalence and treatment outcomes in Malaysia. Intervirology. 2021;64(1):1-8.

Mengistu EF, Malik DT, Molla MD, Adugna A, Jemal M. Liver function tests, CD4+ counts, and viral load among people living with HIV on dolutegravir compared to efavirenz-based cART; a comparative cross-sectional study. Heliyon. 2024;10(12):e33054. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e33054

Albarran-Sotelo V, García-Carrasco M, López-Carrillo L, Aranda-Rincón L, Ramírez-García S, Ramírez-Márquez, E et al. Changes in liver function test levels in HIV patients undergoing highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Longitudinal study in Lima, Peru. Rev Colomb Cir. 2022;37(1):202-12.

Dusingize JC, Hoover DR, Shi Q, Mutimura E, Rudakemwa E, Ndacyayisenga V, et al. Association of abnormal liver function parameters with HIV serostatus and CD4 count in antiretroviral-naive Rwandan women. AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses. 2015;31(8):723-30. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1089/aid.2014.0170

Shiferaw MB, Tulu KT, Zegeye AM, Wubante AA. Liver Enzymes Abnormalities among Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy Experienced and HAART Naïve HIV-1 Infected Patients at Debre Tabor Hospital, North West Ethiopia: A Comparative Cross-Sectional Study. Biomed Res Int. 2016;2016:1985452. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1155/2016/1985452

Mata-Marín JA, Gaytán-Martínez J, Grados-Chavarría BH, Fuentes-Allen JL, Arroyo-Anduiza CI, Alfaro-Mejía A. Correlation between HIV viral load and aminotransferases as liver damage markers in HIV infected naive patients: a concordance cross-sectional study. Virol J. 2009;6:181. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1743-422X-6-181

Grados-Chavarría BH, Fuentes-Allen JL, Arroyo-Anduiza CI. Mayo Clinic. HIV/AIDS - Symptoms and causes. Available at: https://www. mayoclinic. org/diseases-conditions/hiv-aids/symptoms-causes/syc-20373524. Accessed on 15 July 2025.

Ibrahim R, Supardi S, Widya I. The Effect of Lifestyle on Physical Conditions as Observed by CD4, SGOT, and SGPT of People Living with HIV: A Case Study at Dr. Iskak Hospital in Tulungagung Indonesia. Indian J Public Health Res Dev. 2020;11(11):55-61. DOI: https://doi.org/10.37506/ijphrd.v11i11.11347

Pathania S, Kaur N, Kumar S, Sashindran VK, Puri P. A cross-sectional study of liver function tests in HIV-infected persons in Western India. Med J Armed Forces India. 2017;73(1):23-8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mjafi.2016.12.004

Adiga Sachidananda MN, Adiga Usha S. Effect of antiretroviral treatment regimens on liver enzymes in human immunodeficiency virus patients. Asian J Pharm Clin Res. 2018;11(8):95-9. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22159/ajpcr.2018.v11i8.24885

Downloads

Published

2025-10-24

How to Cite

Gupta, P., Kalra, A., Chaurasia, A. K., Mathur, M., Kumar, S., Singh, K., & Varma, S. (2025). The status of liver enzymes in patients of newly diagnosed human immuno-deficiency virus and their correlation with CD4 counts in a tertiary centre of North Eastern region of India. International Journal of Advances in Medicine, 12(6), 540–544. https://doi.org/10.18203/2349-3933.ijam20253345

Issue

Section

Original Research Articles