Determination of Cryptococcal Antigen in Newly Diagnosed HIV Infected Patients Attending Specialist Hospital Sokoto North- Western Nigeria

Cryptococcosis is a common infectious disease that contributes significantly to death in HIV/AIDS patients. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of cryptococcal antigen among newly diagnosed HIV infected patients with CD4 count below 200µL attending antiretroviral clinic in specialist hospital Sokoto.. A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out in the HIV clinic of the Sokoto Specialist Hospital. The participants were newly diagnosed HIV positive patients recruited through thorough random sampling. The sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of the subjects were recorded. Blood was obtained from the subjects to determine their CD4 level and the presence of cryptococcosis. Their CD4 levels were measured using the Visitect CD4 Advanced Disease Kit, and the presence of cryptococcal antigen in the blood sample was discovered using the CrAg LFA. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 25.0. Univariate, bivariate, and multivariate analyses were completed. Out of the 154 HIV-positive patients recruited, 55 had CD4 count below 200µL (prevalence of 35.7%), 21 were positive to cryptococcal antigen (prevalence of 38.2%), and cryptococcal antigen and HIV co-infection was high among married couples (prevalence of 61.9%) and the age group of 31–40 (prevalence of 47.6%). The socioeconomic distribution of the co-infection showed that it was high among Hausa/Fulani, business owners, and informally educated people. This study reveals that cryptococcosis is a burden among HIV patients in Sokoto, and its frequency is linked to lower CD4 levels.