Evaluation of Serum Proteins in Some Immuno-Compromised Patients in Auchi, Edo State

Abstract

Immunocompromised state is a condition associated with the alteration in the immune status of an individual’s thereby promoting the progression of disease. Proteins in plasma are readily accessible and can be analyzed directly to produce diagnostic information on disease states in patients. Five milliliters of venous blood was collected from one hundred and twenty (120) volunteers which comprised twenty (20) tuberculosis patients, forty (40) Human immunodeficiency virus patients, forty (40) pregnant women and twenty (20) age and gender- matched  apparently healthy individual as control. Colorimetric methods were used to determine the serum total protein and albumin, while serum globulin and albumin/globulin ratio were derived. Our results show a significant increase (P<0.05) in total proteins, albumin, and globulins as well as albumin/globulin ratio of Tuberculosis (9.83±2.04, 4.15±0.98,5.68±2.08,0.73±0.47) and HIV patients (9.53±1.39, 4.00±0.92, 5.53±1.37, 0.72±0.67) but decrease in pregnant women (6.23±0.69, 3.48±0.61, 2.75±0.29 and 1.27±2.10) when compared with control subjects (6.7±0.53, 9.5±0.47, 2.75±0.24, 1.44±1.96). Serum protein is a significant diagnostic index in the management of immune-compromised patients.