Table 3 Laboratory data of all severely malnourished children aged <60 months grouped by their HIV status.

Haemoglobin

7.8 (6.4–9.2)

8.1 (6.5–9.6)

Total WBC (10⁹/L)

8.9 (5.4–11.3)

9.1 (7.2–13.5)**

Neutrophils (10⁹/L)

4.9 (2.8–8.0)

5.9 (3.4–8.9)

Neutrophils (%)

59 (35–71)

55 (41–65)

Monocytes (10⁹/L)

0.22 (0.11–0.94)

0.28 (0.15–0.53)

Monocytes (%)

2 (1.8–7.5)

2 (1.8–5)

Total lymphocytes (10⁹/L)

2.9 (2.1–4.9)

4.5 (2.9–6.3)**

Lymphocytes (%)

39 (26–50)

40 (32–50)

CD4⁺ cell count (10⁶/L)

497 (280–1379)

1265 (829–1758)***

CD4⁺ cells (%)

18 (12–34)

33 (26–40)***

CD8⁺ cell count (10⁶/L)

880 (490–1750)

588 (331–913)***

CD8⁺ cells (%)

31 (23–50)

15 (13–21)***

CD4⁺/CD8⁺ ratio

0.76 (0.24–1.19)

2.0 (1.5–2.8)***