Comprehensive Analysis of The Iron Profile in Hiv-1 And Hiv-2 Infected Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Clinic Services at Federal Teaching Hospital Owerri

Changes in iron metabolism are typical in people with HIV, and pregnancy may make these changes even more pronounced. These alterations can have an effect on the health of the mother, the immune system, and the fate of the pregnancy. This study performed a thorough examination of the iron profile in pregnant women infected with HIV-1 and HIV-2 who were receiving prenatal care at the Federal Teaching University Hospital, Owerri. There were 60 women in total, 30 of whom were pregnant and had HIV-1 or HIV-2 (the test group) and 30 of whom were not pregnant and were healthy (the control group). Standard laboratory procedures were used to assess serum iron, ferritin, transferrin, and total iron binding capacity (TIBC). We also looked at the iron profile parameters of the HIV-positive pregnant women in each of the three trimesters and how ferritin levels were related to other iron levels. We used t-tests and correlation statistics to look at the data, and p < 0.05 was judged statistically significant. Pregnant women with HIV had far higher levels of serum iron (146.7 ± 74.3 µg/dl vs 67.3 ± 27.5 µg/dl; p = 2.36 × 10⁻⁷), ferritin (327.1 ± 156.3 ng/ml vs 179.2 ± 63.7 ng/ml; p = 0.00024), and transferrin (271.3 ± 58.6 mg/dl vs 209.5 ± 104.7 mg/dl; p = 0.00095) than healthy women. On the other hand, TIBC was much lower in the group with HIV (273.4 ± 47.9 µg/dl versus 372.1 ± 225.9 µg/dl; p = 0.045). Serum iron levels rose considerably from the first to the third trimester of pregnancy (p = 0.021), although ferritin, transferrin, and TIBC exhibited non-significant rising trends. Correlation analysis showed a moderate positive relationship between ferritin and transferrin (r = 0.461, p = 0.011), but no significant links between ferritin and serum iron or TIBC.Pregnant women in Owerri who are infected with HIV-1/2 show big changes in how their bodies use iron. Their serum iron, ferritin, and transferrin levels are all higher, while their TIBC levels are lower. This could mean that iron is being redistributed or that iron is being stored in response to inflammation. The gradual increase in serum iron throughout the trimesters and the notable connection between ferritin and transferrin highlight the necessity for meticulous surveillance of iron status in this demographic to enhance maternal and foetal outcomes.