“…Given that the majority of anemic patients persisted with anemia during the time of ATT regardless of the gradual increase in hemoglobin levels, we tested whether such condition was related to a chronic and unresolved inflammatory disturbance. To do so, we employed a mathematical maneuver named Molecular Degree of Perturbation (MDP), which has been used by our group and others to estimate the overall degree of inflammation and/or immune activation ( 18 – 20 ). In the present study, we included cells (from CBC), viral load, CD4 counts and biochemical parameters (creatinine, urea, total and direct bilirubin, albumin, alkaline phosphatase, uric acid, AST, GGT, ALT and total proteins) to create a score henceforth named Degree of Inflammatory Perturbation (DIP) ( Figure 4A ).…”