ABSTRACT Immunological and clinical findings suggestive of some immune dysfunction have been reported among HIV-exposed uninfected (HEU) children and adolescents. Whether these defects are persistent or transitory is still unknown. HEU pediatric population at birth, 12 months, 6-12 years were evaluated in comparison to healthy age-matched HIV-unexposed controls. Plasma levels of LPS, sCD14, cytokines, lymphocyte immunophenotyping and T-cell receptor excision circles (TREC) were assessed. HEU and controls had similar LPS levels, which remained low from birth to 6-12 years; for plasma sCD14, IL-2, IL-6, IL-7, IL-10, IL-12p70, IL-13, IL-17, IFN-γ, TNF-α, G-CSF, GM-CSF and MCP-1, which increased from birth to 12 months and then decreased at 6-12 years; and for TREC/106 PBMC at birth in HEU and controls. By contrast, plasma MIP-1β levels were lower in HEU than in controls (p=0.009) at 12 months, and IL-4 levels were higher in HEU than controls (p=0.04) at 6-12 years. Immune activation was higher in HEU at 12 months and at 6-12 years than controls based on frequencies of CD38+HLA-DR+CD8+T cells (p=0.05) and of CD38+HLA-DR+CD4+T cells (p=0.006). Resting memory and activated mature B cells increased from birth to 6-12 years in both groups. The development of the immune system in vertically HEU individuals is comparable to the general population in most parameters, but subtle or transient differences exist. Their role in influencing clinical incidences in HEU is unknown.

The objective of the present study was to evaluate children born to HIV-infected mothers and to determine whether such children present auditory disorders or poor acquisition of the ability to localize sound. The population studied included 143 children (82 males and 61 females), ranging in age from one month to 30 months. The children were divided into three groups according to the classification system devised in 1994 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: infected; seroreverted; and exposed. The children were then submitted to audiological evaluation, including behavioral audiometry, visual reinforcement audiometry and measurement of acoustic immittance. Statistical analysis showed that the incidence of auditory disorders was significantly higher in the infected group. In the seroreverted and exposed groups, there was a marked absence of auditory disorders. In the infected group as a whole, the findings were suggestive of central auditory disorders. Evolution of the ability to localize sound was found to be poorer among the children in the infected group than among those in the seroreverted and exposed groups.

OBJETIVO: Determinação da freqüência das alterações cardíacas e sua evolução nas crianças expostas ao HIV-1 por via perinatal. MÉTODOS: Realizada avaliação seqüencial clínico-cardiológica, eletrocardiográfica e ecocardiográfica Doppler em 84 crianças expostas ao HIV-1. RESULTADOS: Grupo I (sororreversão) 43 crianças (51,2%). Ausência de alterações clínicas. ECG: distúrbio de condução de ramo direito 5 casos. ECO: CIA (1 caso) e CIV (1 caso). Grupo II 41 infectados (48,8%) com 51,2% de alterações cardiológicas. Crianças assintomáticas ou com sintomas leves, sem imunossupressão: alterações clínico-ecocardiográficas ausentes; ECG: distúrbio de condução de ramo direito (2 casos). Crianças com comprometimento clínico-imunológico moderado e severo: Alterações encontradas: 1) Clínicas (31,7%): taquicardia isolada (1 caso), ICC (12 casos). 2) Eletrocardiográficas (43,9%): taquicardia sinusal associada a outras alterações (10 casos), distúrbio de condução de ramo direito (5 casos), BDAS (1 caso), HBAD (1 caso), alterações da repolarização ventricular (11 casos), SVD (2 casos), SVE (1 caso), desvio do AQRS para direita (1 caso), arritmias (3 casos). 3) Ecocardiográficas (26,8%): miocardiopatia dilatada (5 casos), derrame pericárdico com tamponamento (2 casos), hipertensão pulmonar (2 casos) e prolapso da valva mitral (1 caso). CONCLUSÃO: O envolvimento cardíaco foi uma característica do grupo infectado. Houve maior prevalência de alterações nas crianças pertencentes à categoria clínico-imunológica mais avançada. Os achados clínicos, eletrocardiográficos e ecocardiográficos mais freqüentes foram, respectivamente, ICC, alterações da repolarização ventricular e miocardiopatia dilatada. Esta foi reversível em um caso. As alterações eletrocardiográficas foram significantemente mais freqüentes que as clínicas e ecocardiográficas.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency of cardiac abnormalities and its natural history in children perinatally exposed to HIV-1. METHODS: Eighty-four children exposed to HIV-1 were evaluated by serial clinical, electrocardiographic (ECG), and Doppler-echocardiographic (ECHO) examinations. RESULTS: Group I - (seroreversion) - 43 children (51.2%). Absence of clinical abnormalities. ECG: incomplete right bundle branch block (RBBB) 5 cases. ECHO: atrial septal defect (ASD) and ventricular septal defect (VSD) - 1 case each. Group II - 41 HIV-infected children (48.8%), of whom 51.2% were found to have cardiac abnormalities. Asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic children without immunosuppression: no clinical and echocardiographic abnormalities; ECG: incomplete right bundle branch block (RBBB) - (2 cases). Children with moderate and severe symptoms and immunological impairment: the following abnormalities were found: 1) clinical (31.7%)-isolated tachycardia (1 case), congestive heart failure (12 cases). 2) electrocardiographic (43.9%)- sinus tachycardia associated with other abnormalities (10 cases), incomplete right bundle branch block (5 cases), left anterior hemiblock (1 case), right anterior hemiblock (1 case), changes in ventricular repolarization (11 cases), right ventricular overload (2 cases), left ventricular overload (1 case), right QRS axis deviation (1 case), and arrhythmias (3 cases). 3) echocardiographic (26.8%)- dilated cardiomyopathy (5 cases), pericardial effusion with tamponade (2 cases), pulmonary hypertension (2 cases), and mitral valve prolapse (1 case). CONCLUSION: Cardiac involvement was a characteristic of the HIV-infected group. Higher prevalence of abnormalities was found among children belonging to the most advanced clinical and immunological category. The most commonly observed clinical, electrocardiographic and echocardiographic findings were congestive heart failure (CHF), changes in ventricular repolarization, and dilated cardiomyopathy, respectively. The latter was reversible in one case. Electrocardiogram changes were significantly more frequent than clinical and echocardiographic changes.

OBJETIVO: Avaliar a prevalência de anticorpos contra o vírus da hepatite A em crianças e adolescentes expostos e/ou infectados pelo HIV. MÉTODOS: Entre setembro de 1996 e agosto de 2002, foram incluídos neste estudo 352 crianças e adolescentes, filhos de mães soropositivas para o HIV (200 expostos e não-infectados pelo HIV, e 152 expostos e infectados pelo HIV). Essas crianças e adolescentes, com idade entre 1 e 14 anos, acompanhados no Ambulatório de AIDS Pediátrica da Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), fizeram teste sorológico contra hepatite A como parte da avaliação de rotina. A dosagem de anticorpos anti-HAV (anticorpos totais e IgM) foi realizada através do método ELISA (Dia Sorin e Radim). A comparação das faixas etárias entre os grupos foi feita utilizando o teste do qui-quadrado e, para comparar as médias de idade das categorias clínicas entre as crianças infectadas, utilizou-se o teste t. RESULTADOS: A prevalência de anticorpos contra o vírus da hepatite A foi de 34% nos pacientes infectados e expostos ao HIV e 19,7% no grupo de soro-revertidos (expostos ao HIV e não-infectados). Estratificando a amostra por faixa etária, observamos que, para as crianças de 2 a 10 anos, o grupo de infectados pelo HIV apresentou prevalência de anticorpos para o vírus hepatite A (35,5%) maior do que o grupo de soro-revertidos (16,7%) (p = 0,005). Dentro do grupo de infectados pelo HIV, estratificando a amostra em relação à categoria clínica da infecção pelo HIV, observamos que as crianças pertencentes às categorias B e C apresentaram prevalência de anticorpos para o vírus da hepatite A maior (40,5%) do que aquelas pertencentes às categorias N e A (24,1%) (p = 0,042), apesar de apresentarem média de idade sem diferença estatística: 5,66 anos para as categorias N e A e 5,18 anos para as categorias B e C (p = 0,617). CONCLUSÕES: A prevalência de anticorpos contra o vírus da hepatite A na população de crianças e adolescentes infectados e/ou expostos ao HIV na faixa etária de 1 a 14 anos foi de 26%. Considerando-se a possibilidade de agravamento da infecção pelo HIV quando associada à infecção pelo vírus da hepatite A, sugerimos a profilaxia vacinal nesse grupo de indivíduos.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prevalence of hepatitis A virus antibodies in HIV-exposed and/or HIV-infected children and adolescents. METHODS: Between September 1996 and August 2002, 352 patients (200 exposed, but not HIV-infected and 152 HIV exposed and infected) were included in this study. These children and adolescents (age ranged between 1 and 14 years) were all followed up at the Pediatric AIDS Clinic of the Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP) and had anti-HAV antibodies determined by a commercially available ELISA method (tests for total anti-HAV antibodies and specific IgM antibodies) (Dia Sorin and Radim). Statistical analyses were done with chi-squared and t test. RESULTS: The prevalence of hepatitis A virus antibodies in HIV-infected and HIV-exposed, but uninfected patients was 34% and 19.7%, respectively. We noticed that in the age range between 2 years and 10 years, the group of HIV-infected children presented a higher prevalence of hepatitis A virus antibodies (35.5%) than the group of uninfected children (16.7%) (p = 0.005). In the HIV infected group, children from B and C categories had a prevalence of hepatitis A virus antibodies (40.5%) higher than N and A categories (24.1%) (p = 0.042). Mean age did not differ when children from B and C categories were compared with N and A categories (5.18 and 5.66 years, respectively) (p = 0.617). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of hepatitis A virus antibodies in HIV exposed and/or infected children and adolescents between 1 and 14 years old was 26%. Considering the possibility of HIV infection aggravation when associated with hepatitis A virus infection, we suggest that hepatitis A virus inactivated vaccine should be administered to these patients.

A vitamina A tem sido considerada uma vitamina anti-infecciosa e sua deficiência está associada a um maior risco de infecções graves, como ocorre por exemplo no sarampo. Nos países em desenvolvimento a hipovitaminose A é um grave problema de saúde pública. O objetivo deste estudo é quantificar o nível sérico da vitamina A em pacientes pediátricos portadores da leismaniose visceral (LV). Amostras de sangue foram coletadas de 22 crianças portadoras de LV, estocadas em freezer e posteriormente, quantificado o nível de vitamina A usando-se a cromatrografia líquída de alta eficiência, nove irmãos assintomáticos dos pacientes foram usados como controles. A média do nível sérico da vitamina A nos portadores de LV foi de 21,38µg/100ml e no grupo controle foi de 31,39µg/100ml. Entre os pacientes estudados com LV a média do nível sérico de vitamina A encontrado foi significativamente menor, utilizando-se o teste t de Student para um p<0,01 que dos controles.

Vitamin A is considered an anti-infectious disease vitamin, and its deficiency is associated with severe infections such as in measles. In developing countries the low concentrations of vitamin A are a public health problem. The aim of this study is to describe serum vitamin A concentrations among children with visceral leishmaniasis (VL). Blood sample was collected from 22 children with VL, and stored in a freezer, 9 siblings, with no clinical signs of the VL patients had their blood collected for a control group. Samples were assayed by high performance liquid chromatography. The median vitamin A concentration in the LV group was 21.38µg/100ml and in the control group it was 31.39µg/100. The mean in the LV was statistically lower than in the control group, using Student's t test, p<0.01.