Rachel Okojie 2019

Dr Rachel Okojie

University of Benin, Nigeria

Comparative study of the immunological and haematological parameters among tuberculosis naive and treated patients in Central Hospital, Benin City, Nigeria

Poster Abstract

Tuberculosis (TB) is an infective and contagious disease that is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB). It is a public health problem in Nigeria and the world at large. Determining the extent of immune cells belonging to cell mediated immunity and haematological parameters is critical to maximize the potential benefits of anti-tubercular treatment and case management of tuberculosis patients. This study was aimed at providing information on the immunological and haematological changes in tuberculosis patients with and without treatment as compared with apparently healthy controls. A total of 130 blood samples were collected from the subjects. Blood samples were collected from tuberculosis naive patients (without treatment), tuberculosis patients with treatment as well as non-tuberculosis patients (control) at the Central Hospital, Benin City, Nigeria. The informed consent and Institutional Ethical Committee’s permission were obtained. The samples were placed in EDTA bottles and transported to the laboratory where complete blood count using the haematology auto-analyzer and CD4 count analysis using the flow cytometry method was carried out. The results revealed that the TB positive patients without treatment (Group A) had the lowest mean red blood cell count, mean haemoglobin level, haematocrit count and CD4 count while the TB positive patients undergoing treatment (Group B) and the apparently healthy patients without TB had intermediate and the highest counts respectively. For other parameters like white blood cell count, mean platelet count and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio, Group A had the highest values and was followed by Groups B and C respectively. This study concludes that there is significant difference in both haematological and immunological parameters of TB and non-TB patients. It has also showed that the treatment regimen also has a positive effect on the haematological and immunological parameters of alleviating the disease burden.

Biography

I am a Lecturer in the University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria. I teach and carry out researches with students at both the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. My research area is majorly in Medical Microbiology with particular interest/specialisation in Immunology and Animal Virology.  My researches have involved the use of human subjects and animal models in the studies.