Centre-based Evaluation of Heamatological and Some Biochemical Effects of the Initial Phase of Anti-tuberculosis Therapy in Bayelsa State

Aim of the Study: This study aimed at evaluating the adverse drug effects on blood and some biochemical parameters of anti-tuberculosis drugs among patients with primary tuberculosis infection.

Study Design: Non-probability (purposive) sampling technique was employed in this study.

Place and Duration of Study: This study was carried out at the Chest Clinic unit of the Tuberculosis and Leprosy referral Hospital, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Nigeria. This study was conducted from July, 2017 to April, 2018.

Methodology: Tuberculosis patients were selected using standard methods for clinical diagnosis and confirmed by laboratory analysis for Mycobacterium tuberculosis using acid fast bacilli as preliminary and Gene-Xpert® as confirmatory test. A total of 44 tuberculosis patients met the study inclusion and exclusion criteria and completed the study at the Tuberculosis and Leprosy Referral Hospital Yenegoa, Bayelsa State. Eligible patients were administered with appropriate daily dose of (rifampicin-150 mg, isoniazid-75 mg, pyrazinamide-400 mg and ethambutol-275 mg) single drug combination for two months based on bodyweight. Blood was collected and evaluated for full blood count, liver enzymes, Alkaline phosphatase (ALP), Alanine transaminase (ALT), Aspartate aminotransferase (AST); Total proteins, Bilirubin and Cholesterol at baseline, week 4 and week 8. Data were descriptively analyzed using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS 21).

Results: Treatment in the intensive therapy phase resulted in significant increase of alanine aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase levels (P=0.5). There was also significant decrease in total cholesterol and albumin (P=0.5). The WBC was also significantly reduced (P<0.05); week 0 (12.45±1.35), week 4(8.93±0.42) and wk 8 (7.70±0.34) while the RBC was significantly raised (P<0.05); RBC: week 0 (4.02±0.12), week 4 (4.59±0.12) and week 8 (4.82±0.10). There were no significant changes in aspartate aminotransferase, total protein and total bilirubin and more so, heamatological changes were noted but not severe enough to necessitate the discontinuation of the therapy.

Conclusion: The study results showed changes in full blood count and some biochemical parameters but were not severe enough to warrant discontinuation of therapy.