Background: In the context of scaling the viral load in resource limited settings, following HIV infected patient's adults and children with CD4+ T-lymphocyte count still very important in settings where the decentralization of treatment still has some challenges. Effective HIV monitoring in these resource-constrained settings needs affordable and reliable CD4+ T lymphocytes enumeration methods. We investigated the validity of a BD FACSPresto POC which is a dedicated system for enumeration that uses immunofluorescent technologies. In this study, we have assessed the sensitivity, specificity and correlation between most representative flow cytometry instruments present in Cameroon with more than 5000 CD4 T cells tests per year including FACSCalibur, FACSCount, and PIMA POC from Becton-Dickinson and ALERE respectively. Methods: 268 patients aged from 1 to 72 years old were enrolled and included in the study after inform consent. The BD FACSPresto POC CD4+ T cell technology was placed at CIRCB and operated by technician staff. HIV infected patients were from Chantal BIYA international reference Center (CIRCB),

Introduction: Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) targets the body's defense system and leads to a decrease in CD4 T-cells in lymphoid tissues associated with intestinal mucosa, leading to an imbalance in the gastrointestinal tract. This study was performed to determine the intestinal parasites infestation among people living with HIV (PLHIV) in peri-urban area in Yaoundé, Cameroon. Methods: A retro-prospective, prospective, and descriptive study was carried out from January-March 2017 to the Care Unit of the Nkolondom II Catholic Medical Center in Yaoundé on 96 PLHIV after providing informed consent. On each stool sample collected, intestinal parasites testing was performed by using direct examination with physiological saline and Lugol's iodine, Ritchie's technique (formol/ether, 10%) and by Ziehl-Neelsen staining. Statistical analysis was performed by using SPSS version 17 software, with all P <0.05 considered statistically significant. Results: A total of 52.08% (50/96) were infested with various parasites: Cryptosporidium parvum (72.88%), Cyclospora cayetanensis (10.17%), Entamoeba histolytica (8.47%), Entamoeba coli (5.08%), Ascaris lumbricoїdes (1.70%) and Giardia lamblia (1.70%). Parasite’s prevalence was more observed in women (74.00%; 37/50) compared with men (26.00% [13/50]). Depending on immunity, immuno-compromised patients (CD4 count ≤500 cells/mm3) were more infested (82.00%; 41/50) versus (vs) 18.00% (9/50), OR: 1.60 (95%CI: 0.60-4.60). Conclusion: Intestinal parasites infestation is reported to be high among people under ART in Cameroon's Yaoundé locality, with Cryptosporidium parvum being the predominant circulating species in this locality.

Background Measurements of CD4 T cells and hemoglobin (Hb) are used to determine the immunological state and information about disease progression for HIV-infected patients. We analyze the correlation in CD4 and Hb measurements using BD FACSPresto™ system compared with the BD validated FACSCanto™ II clinical software analyzer and Sysmex XN 1000 haematology analyzer. We evaluated the advantages of using the POC device in the era of scale up in access for HIV patient management in resource limited settings Method The analytical performance of the BD FACSPresto compared with the FACSCanto II flow cytometer and the Sysmex XN 1000 haematology analyzer was evaluated testing 241 routine clinical specimens collected in EDTA tubes from patients attending the Immunology and Microbiology laboratory of Chantal BIYA International Reference Centre (Yaounde, Cameroon) between January and May 2016. Results The mean in absolute counts and percentage of CD4 T cells was 606 cells/mL and 25% respectfully via the FACSPresto and 574 cells/mL and 24% respectfully via the BD FACSCanto II. The mean concentration of Hb levels was 11.90 on the Sysmex XN 1000 and 11.45 via the BD FACSPresto. A high correlation (R2 = 0.95, P < 0.001) of Hb level measurements was noted between the BD FACSPresto™ and Sysmex XN 1000 hematology analyzer. Overall, Bland-Altman plot of the differences between the two methods showed an excellent agreement for absolute and percentage CD4 counts and hemoglobin measurements between POC and conventional methods evaluated here. Furthermore, the study demonstrated the ease of use of the BD FACSPresto POC technology in remote areas. Conclusion The BD FACPresto is a suitable tool for CD4 enumeration in resource-limited settings, specifically providing a deployable, reliable POC testing option. The BD FACSPresto™ performed appropriately in comparison to the conventional reference standard technologies The BD FACSPresto system provides accurate, reliable, precise CD4/%CD4/Hb results on venous blood sampling. The data showed good agreement between the BD FACSPresto, BD FACSCanto and Sysmex XN 1000 XN 1000 systems.