Serum Calcium Level in HIV Patients at Federal Medical Center Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Nigeria

Text: Background: Results have indicated significantly lower levels of calcium, potassium, magnesium and natrium in all analyzed biological samples (blood, serum and scalp hair) of male patients with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) in comparison to healthy controls (Beck A. et al 2012). Drugs that stabilize calcium homeostasis such as vitamin-D supplementation can help protect neurons against toxic effects of gp120 and Tat, by altering; voltage-dependent calcium channels, glutamate receptor channels and membrane transporters and levels of parathyroid hormone, bone mineral loss and consequently provide adequate calcium needed for regulation of the nervous system (Gus, 2009). We evaluated serum calcium levels in HIV patients as residents of this geographical area are mainly fishermen whose main source of protein diet is from fish and other fish products at Federal Medical Center, Yenagoa. Methods: The study was a cross sectional study design conducted at the HIV Clinic at Federal Medical Center, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State in 2012. The target population were patients attending regular HIV Clinic and community members. I nclusion criteriaPatients confirmed HIV positive and negative for hepatitis who gave informed consent formed the cases. The control constituted community members tested negative for HIV and Hepatitis B and C that gave informed consent. Exclusion criteria for cases and controls are hepatitis positive and CD4 less than 100cell/mm3 Risk level of the serum calcium was taken as greater than7mmol/L as it was found to be higher than the median value of serum calcium for the population under study. Result: 384 samples were collected by systematic sampling technique with replacement from an existing sample frame and divided into equal parts of cases and controls. Among the 192 case, 57.00 % were female. HIV patients (Cases) have 16.98 odds of exposure to serum calcium greater than 7mmol/L when compared to the HIV negative (control) and the attributable risk % of exposure to serum calciumgreater than 7mmol/L is given as 60 %. HIV patients (cases) have about 70 % of its serum calcium values greater than7mmol/L. Conclusions: HIV patients have higher serum calcium and administration of drugs that regulate calcium homeostasis may reduce serum calcium level to about 48 %. We recommend further research on diet and calcium levels and advocate that calcium analysis for HIV patients by Physicians in this region.