Thyroid dysfunction in human immunodeficiency virus-infected children and its correlation with CD4(+) T lymphocyte...

Area of Science:

• Pediatric endocrinology
• Infectious diseases
• Virology

Background:

• Thyroid dysfunction is observed in individuals with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), potentially indicating disease severity.
• This study investigates thyroid function in pediatric HIV cases.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess thyroid function in children with HIV, comparing those on highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) with those not on HAART.
• To determine the correlation between thyroid function tests and CD4 counts in pediatric HIV patients.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study was conducted at a teaching hospital's Anti-Retroviral Therapy Centre.
• Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), total thyroxine (T4), and total tri-iodothyronine (T3) levels were analyzed in 60 HIV-infected children (30 on HAART, 30 HAART-naive).
• Spearman's correlation was used to assess the association between thyroid dysfunction and CD4 count.

Main Results:

• Thyroid function abnormalities were present in 5 out of 30 patients in both HAART and HAART-naive groups.
• Hypothyroidism or sick euthyroid syndrome features were observed in both groups; no clinical thyroid dysfunction was noted.
• A significant inverse correlation (P = 0.01) was found between TSH and CD4 count.

Conclusions:

• Thyroid dysfunction is prevalent in children with HIV.
• The inverse correlation between TSH and CD4 count suggests a trend towards hypothyroidism as HIV disease progresses.
• Monitoring thyroid function may be important in managing pediatric HIV.