A Preliminary Analysis of Sex-Based Differences in Immune Status, ART Adherence, and Opportunistic Infections Among HIV-Positive Patients in Rural Eastern Cape, South Africa.

Ikhona Ntshobane, Dominic Targema Abaver

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Article in Tropical medicine and infectious disease, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors.

Ikhona NtshobaneDepartment of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Walter Sisulu University, Mthatha 5100, Eastern Cape, South Africa.

Dominic Targema AbaverDepartment of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Walter Sisulu University, Mthatha 5100, Eastern Cape, South Africa.ORCID 0000-0002-7749-9167

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundOpportunistic infections remain a significant cause of morbidity among people living with HIV (PLHIV) in sub-Saharan Africa despite expanded access to antiretroviral therapy (ART). This study evaluated the association between immune status, viral load suppression, ART adherence, and the risk of opportunistic infections among HIV-positive patients receiving ART in the rural Eastern Cape, South Africa.

methodsA retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted using clinical records of HIV-positive patients attending an HIV clinic in Mthatha between January 2021 and December 2024. Demographic characteristics, CD4 counts, viral load results, ART regimens, adherence status, and documented opportunistic infections were extracted. Viral load suppression was defined according to WHO guidelines as <1000 copies/mL. CD4 counts were categorized as <200, 200-499, and ≥500 cells/mm

resultsA total of 155 patients (105 females, 50 males) were included. Females demonstrated significantly higher mean CD4 counts than males (

conclusionsImmune suppression and suboptimal ART adherence significantly increase the risk of opportunistic infections among HIV-positive patients in rural South Africa. Strengthening adherence interventions and early immune monitoring may reduce infection burden in high-prevalence settings.

Indexed as

ART adherencecandidiasisCD4 countHIVimmune suppressionopportunistic infectionsSouth Africaviral load

Identifiers

PMID42506753

DOI10.3390/tropicalmed11070183

PMCPMC13417898

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