Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 28, 2026
Comprehensive & Cost Effective Laboratory Monitoring of HIV/AIDS: an African Role Model
Published on: October 31, 2010
Timing of blood sampling for CD4 T-cell counting influences HAART decisions
Yonas Bekele1, Yohannes Mengistu, Tobias Rinke de Wit
1Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Background:
Variability in CD4 T-cell counts has been described for both healthy and HIV-infected persons. It may influence decisions with respect to initiation and monitoring of antiretroviral treatment.
Objective:
to measure the effect of timing of blood sampling for blood cell count measurement.
Method:
The study population consisted of 71 Ethiopian patients in an observational cohort, either being monitored prior to HAART (n = 40) or receiving HAART (n = 31) at an ART Clinic in Addis Ababa.
Result:
The median CD4 count demonstrated significantly increasing trends from the morning (8 am) to the afternoon (4 pm), both for patients on HAART (increase of 137 CD4 cell/microl; p = 0.003) and for patients initiating HAART (increase of 56 CD4 cells/microl; p = 0.038). This trend was also observed for CD8+ and CD3+ T-lymphocytes, (initiating HAART p = 0.002 and p = 0.001; patients on HAART p = 0.015 and p = 0.004, respectively).
Conclusion:
The implications of these findings are for the decision to start HAART or the decision to start prevention of opportunistic infections in Ethiopian patients on HAART.
