Relationship between CD4 cell counts and serum hepcidin in HIV patients at Wahidin Sudirohusodo Hospital

Abstract

BACKGROUND: HIV remains a major global public health issue in Indonesia and many countries in the world. WHO reports that an estimated 39 million people were living with HIV at the end of 2022. CD4 lymphocytes are the primary target of HIV infection and cause impairment of the immune system. Hepcidin is an antimicrobial peptide hormone synthesized by the liver in response to inflammatory stimuli and regulates iron homeostasis. Hepcidin expression is facilitated by IL-6 produced during inflammation and is a risk factor for HIV-1 disease progression and pathogenesis. Data regarding hepcidin levels in HIV-infected patients is still rarely reported but currently shown to increase HIV-1 transcription. This study aims to determine the relationship between CD4 cell counts and serum hepcidin levels in HIV patients.METHODS: The study includes 45 subjects with HIV patients. Sampling using consecutive sampling, with CD4 and serum hepcidin samples in HIV patients at Wahidin Sudirohusodo Hospital. Laboratory tests were conducted using the Flowcytometry method for CD4 and the ELISA method for hepcidin serum.RESULTS: The Pearson correlation test was used to analyze the relationship between CD4 cell counts and hepcidin levels, and the results showed no statistically significant correlation (P>0.05). The negative R-value showed a tendency that the lower the CD4 cell counts, the higher the hepcidin levels.CONCLUSIONS: There was no significant relationship between CD4 cell counts and serum hepcidin levels in HIV patients, but there was a tendency that the lower the CD4 cell count, the higher the hepcidin levels.

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