Abstract:
Cryptococcus neoformans, which causes cryptococcal meningitis (CM), is increasingly
becoming a fatal fungal infection, especially among HIV/AIDS patients, because the HIV
virus targets and destroys CD4 T cells (core cellular immune effector cells), resulting in
immunosuppression. The objective of the study was to determine occurrence of CM, CD4T
cells counts and assays, in patients suspected/confirmed to have cryptococcal meningitis. The
cross-sectional study design involved 51 HIV patients from KNH, during August-September
2008, sampled using Java and Applets method (2006). Results showed that CD4 T cells count
among all the patients suspected to be infected with cryptococcal meningitis ranged from 0-
937 cells/µL; majority had CD4 counts of 200 cells/µL. Since majority of HIV patients
(43%) in the sample population, with CD4 counts of 143 cells/µL had cryptococcal
meningitis, a CD4 count of 143 cells/µL should be used as the lower limit below which HIV
patients should be given prophylactic drugs for the disease, regardless of the prevailing
clinical features seen in the affected patients. Reasons to determine why not all patients with
HIV had cryptococcal meningitis, despite suggestive clinical features, should be investigated.