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Peptide-based Identification of Functional Motifs and their Binding Partners
Published on: June 30, 2013
[Clinical features of 66 children with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome]
Zai-Cun Li1, Yan Zhao, Zhi-Hui Dou
1Department of Infectious Diseases, Beijing Youan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China.
Insights
Pediatric acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is most commonly transmitted vertically. Children with AIDS exhibit diverse clinical symptoms and significantly suppressed immune systems, underscoring the need for early intervention.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Infectious Diseases
- Immunology
- Clinical Medicine
Context:
- Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in children presents unique challenges.
- Understanding the clinical spectrum is crucial for timely diagnosis and management.
- Pediatric HIV infection requires specific epidemiological and clinical considerations.
Purpose:
- To delineate the clinical features of pediatric acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).
- To analyze the epidemiological and clinical data of children diagnosed with AIDS.
- To identify common manifestations and routes of transmission in pediatric HIV infection.
Summary:
- A retrospective study of 66 children with AIDS revealed vertical transmission as the predominant infection route (72.7%).
- Common clinical manifestations included weight loss (65.2%), anemia (63.7%), fever (60.6%), and fatigue (57.6%).
- The majority of patients (89.4%) presented with severely suppressed immune systems.
Impact:
- Highlights vertical transmission as the primary mode of pediatric HIV infection.
- Provides insights into the diverse clinical presentations of pediatric AIDS.
- Emphasizes the critical immune suppression observed in affected children, informing treatment strategies.
Objective:
To study the clinical features of pediatric acquired immunodeficiency syndrome(AIDS).
Methods:
The epidemiological, clinical and laboratory data of 66 children with AIDS were retrospectively studied.
Results:
Of the 66 patients, 46 (69.7%) were male and 20 (30.3%) were female, with a mean age of 8.7 years (ranged 2-16 years). The mean age at diagnosis was 7.7 years (ranged 2-15 years). Vertical transmission as the route of infection was documented in 48 cases (72.7%). Fourteen children (21.2%) were infected through blood or blood products. The route of infection could not be identified in 4 cases (6.1%). Body weight loss was noted in 43 cases (65.2%), anemia in 42 cases (63.7%), fever in 40 cases (60.6%), fatigue in 38 cases (57.6%), rash in 31 cases (47.0%), chronic cough in 28 cases (12.1%), chronic diarrhea in 24 cases (36.4%), CNS involvement in 16 cases (24.2%), oral thrush in 13 cases (19.7%), and hepatosplenomegaly in 12 cases (18.2%). Body height of 30 cases (45.4%) and body weight of 26 cases (39.4%) ranked the lower level. The immune system was severely suppressed in 59 cases (89.4%) and moderately suppressed in 7 cases (10.6%).
Conclusions:
Vertical transmission remained the most common route of pediatric HIV infection. There were various clinical manifestations in children with AIDS. The immune systems of the majority of children with this disorder were severely suppressed.
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