Premature atherosclerosis risk factors in HIV-infected children

Vertically HIV-infected children and adolescents may be at increased risk of cardiovascular (CVS) disease due to lifelong inflammation and risk factors. CVS risk factors in childhood have been associated with intima-media thickening of the carotid artery (IMTc). There has previously been lack of consensus whether HIV-infected children have increased C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) compared with HIV-negative children. The PositHIVe Health study1 was a cross-sectional study in HIV-infected children and healthy controls;aims were to compare CVS risk factors, chronic inflammation and IMTc, compare biomarkers and IMTc in different antiretroviral regimens and identify variables associated with raised IMTc. 65HIV-infected children aged 8–15 years old were recruited and 65 HIV-negative controls, gender and age matched.

The HIV-infected children were similar to controls in total body fat, systolic blood pressure, insulin and total cholesterol. However, HIV-infected children had higher levels of glycaemia (87.9 vs 75.9 mg/dL, p<0.001), low-density cholesterol (94.7 vs …