Viral Load, CD4+ T-Lymphocytes and stress level in people living with HIV

Authors

  • Paulo Henrique Fontes de Macedo Universidade Tiradentes – UNIT, Aracaju–SE, Brasil
  • Ryan Fernando Menezes Universidade Tiradentes – UNIT, Aracaju–SE, Brasil
  • Cristiane Kelly Aquino dos Santos Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro – UNIRIO, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0260-7194
  • Ewerthon Klysman da Silva Ramos Universidade Norte do Paraná (UNOPAR) Arapiraca – AL, Brasil
  • Luiz Cláudio Pereira Ribeiro Hospital Universitário Gaffrée e Guinle (HUGG-UNIRIO/EBSERH)
  • Estélio H. M. Dantas Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro – UNIRIO, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0981-8020

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.6063/motricidade.31519

Keywords:

Viral Load, CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes, Psychological stress, HIV Seropositivity

Abstract

Given the chronicity of HIV infection, psychosocial factors emerge as potentiators for the elevation of stress levels in PLHIV, as well as for the immunological imbalance and elevation of the viral load. The present research objective was to evaluate the stress level, TCD4+ lymphocyte count and viral load of people living with HIV undergoing ART, treated at a public university hospital. This was an observational, cross-sectional research with 25 patients (40.76 years ± 9.88 years) living with HIV treated at the outpatient clinic of a public hospital in Rio de Janeiro. A sociodemographic questionnaire was used to characterise the sample. Stress was evaluated through the LIPP Stress Symptom Inventory and observed in recent laboratory tests. Stress was identified in 68% of the participants, with a predominance of physical symptoms and a resistance phase. There was a higher prevalence of stress in people with low socioeconomic status, unemployment and recent diagnosis. Lower levels of CD4+ T lymphocytes or higher viral load were not observed in people with stress.

Published

2023-08-27

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