Journal of Pharmacy Research | Vol 12 • Issue 1 • 2018 103 INTRODUCTION Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is responsible for acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). [1] HIV is commonly found in the body fluids of an infected person such as semen, vaginal fluids, blood, and breast milk. This virus can pass from one person to another through blood-to-blood and sexual contact. Infected pregnant women can pass HIV to their babies during pregnancy, delivering the baby during childbirth, and through breastfeeding. [2] The early symptoms of HIV include fever, chills, joint pain, muscle ache, sore throat, sweats (particularly at night), enlarged glands, skin rash, tiredness, weakness, and weight loss. [3,4] In asymptomatic HIV infection period, virus develops and reparation the immune system. Duration of asymptomatic infection period is approximately 10 years. During this period, patients have no symptoms, but some patients may have symptoms and exacerbate immune function within few years after the original infection. [5] The symptoms of late-stage HIV infection include blurred vision, diarrhea, dry cough, fever, sweating at night, permanent tiredness, dyspnea, swollen glands, weight loss, and white spots on the tongue or mouth. Fever and swollen glands last for few weeks. If this stage remain untreated leads to worsening of immune system which results in serious illness such as esophagitis, nervous system infections, pneumonia, cancers, and toxoplasmosis. [6] Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is a combination of antiretroviral drugs which helps to maximally reduce the growth or the rate of multiplication of HIV and prevents transmission of HIV. [7,8] It has become Effect of antiretroviral therapy on hemoglobin level in human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients in Kadapa: A retrospective study Vani Modi 1 , Anupam Kanti Bag 1 *, Greeshma Simhadri 1 , A. Arjun Kumar 2 , Chakka Gopinath 1 Research Article ABSTRACT Background: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is responsible for acquired immune deficiency syndrome. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is a combination of different antireteroviral drugs used for the treatment of HIV infection. It has been reported in HIV-infected patients, anemia occurs due to decrease in CD 4 cells, and ART increases the number of CD4 cells. Thus, the aim of this study was to find blood hemoglobin (Hb) level in HIV-infected patients . Methods: Retrospective observational study was conducted in Rajiv Gandhi Institute of medical sciences, Kadapa, Andhra Pradesh, in 200 HIV-infected patients. Data were collected from patient data collection forms of HIV-infected patients to analyze the effect of ART on Hb level. Results: Data from the records of 200 HIV-infected patients revealed a significant decrease in Hb level due to AZT+3TC+ nevirapine (NVP) regimen. Increase in the length of the ART treatment significantly decreased Hb level. However, ART showed more prominent effect on female patients. In case of young patients, age ranges from 20 to 30 years also showed a significant decrease in Hb level. KEY WORDS: Acquired immune deficiency syndrome, Antiretroviral therapy, CD4 cells, Hemoglobin, Human immunodeficiency virus 1 Department of Pharmacology, Annamacharya College of Pharmacy, Rajampet, Kadapa, Andhra Pradesh, India, 2 Department of General Medicine, RIMS Hospital, Kadapa, Andhra Pradesh, India *Corresponding author: Mr. Anupam Kanti Bag, Department of Pharmacology, Annamacharya College of Pharmacy, Rajampet, Kadapa, Andhra Pradesh, India. E-mail: baganupam1986@gmail.com Received on: 29-10-2017; Revised on: 20-11-2017; Accepted on: 21-12-2017 Access this article online Website: jprsolutions.info ISSN: 0974-6943