Infectious Diseases
Micronutrient levels in HIV-1-infected children.
Periquet BA; Jammes NM; Lambert WE; Tricoire J; Moussa MM; Garcia J;
Ghisolfi J; Thouvenot J
AIDS 1995 Aug;9(8):887-93 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. |
