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Micronutrient levels in HIV-1-infected children
B A Periquet1, N M Jammes, W E Lambert
1Purpan Hospital, Toulouse, France.
Insights
Micronutrient deficiencies, including lycopene, retinol, and tocopherol, are present in children with HIV-1 even before AIDS develops. These findings highlight the need for nutritional interventions to improve health in these children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Hematology/Oncology
- Nutritional Immunology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Micronutrients are vital for immune function.
- HIV-1 infection can impact nutritional status.
- Understanding micronutrient abnormalities is crucial for managing pediatric HIV-1.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of abnormal micronutrient levels in children with HIV-1.
- To assess micronutrient status across different stages of HIV-1 infection.
Main Methods:
- Prospective study involving 21 HIV-1 infected children and 21 age-matched controls.
- Children were categorized into non-AIDS and AIDS stages based on CDC 1987 criteria.
- Micronutrient levels including vitamins A, E, zinc, copper, selenium, and carotenoids were assessed.
Main Results:
- Statistically significant deficiencies in lycopene, retinol, and tocopherol were observed in the non-AIDS stage, persisting into the AIDS stage.
- Transthyretin and serum albumin levels were also significantly lower in HIV-1 infected children.
- Elevated levels of copper and long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids were noted in the non-AIDS group compared to controls.
Conclusions:
- Biological impairment of micronutrient levels occurs in children with HIV-1 even at the non-AIDS stage.
- These findings support the development of targeted nutritional interventions to improve the clinical outcomes of children with HIV-1.
- Early nutritional support may play a role in altering the disease course in pediatric HIV-1 infection.
Objective:
Micronutrients (zinc, copper, selenium, vitamin A, E, and carotenoids) are essential for the integrity of host defences. This study was designed to determine the prevalence of abnormalities of the micronutrient levels in HIV-1-seropositive children.
Design:
Prospective study.
Setting:
The study was performed on HIV-1-infected children at the Paediatric Haematology and Oncology Unit of Toulouse Hospital, France.
Patients:
Twenty-one children, suffering from HIV-1 infection and 21 control subjects of similar age (2-9 years) were included in the study. In the HIV-1-infected children, two subgroups were considered according to stage (non-AIDS or AIDS), based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 1987 criteria.
Results:
The first statistically significant deficiencies occurred at non-AIDS stage and were confirmed at AIDS stage: P < 0.05 for lycopene, retinol, tocopherol and P < 0.001 for transthyretin and serum albumin. Levels of copper (40%) and long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (21%) were higher in the non-AIDS group than the controls.
Conclusion:
Biological impairing of the micronutrient levels was observed in the non-AIDS stage without clinical sign. This information is useful in delineating eventual and well considered nutritional intervention strategies that may improve the clinical status of HIV-1-infected children and perhaps alter the course of their disease.
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