Hematological Reference Ranges among Healthy Ugandans

Abstract

An estimated 8 million individuals living in sub-Saharan Africa (including Uganda) are infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (2). Infection with HIV results in progressive generalized immune suppression due predominantly to cytopathic effects of HIV type 1 (HIV-1) on CD41 T-helper–T-inducer lymphocytes (6). HIV also suppresses normal hematopoiesis and is associated with a broad spectrum of hematologic abnormalities. Measurements of the peripheral blood absolute CD4 cell count (ACD4), CD4 percentage (%CD4), and CD4/CD8 ratio have been found to be useful surrogates for determining the risk of progression of HIV infection and are extensively used in observational studies and AIDS clinical trials (7). Many AIDS-related research studies are being conducted in Uganda and other African nations with a high prevalence of HIV infection. Because of the lack of normal reference ranges for hematological parameters in healthy subjects, many investigators interpret their data using normal values derived from populations in Europe and the United States. There is a need to establish appropriate normal reference values for hematologic parameters in African populations. In this report, we describe hematologic reference ranges obtained by studying 183 symptom-free HIV-seronegative Ugandans. (Results of this investigation were presented at the Eighth International Conference on AIDS in Africa, Marrakesh, Morocco, December 1993.)