title: Airway resistance and spirometry in children with perinatally acquired human immunodeficiency virus-type 1 infection.
abstract: Airway resistance was measured by the interrupter technique in 54 children [aged 63.8 months (range: 9.1-131.6 months)], with perinatal human immunodeficiency virus-type 1 (HIV-1) infection and in a control group of 315 gender, height, and race-matched healthy children. In addition, 14 HIV-infected children, aged 75-131 months, had spirometry performed. Resistance was significantly higher in infected children than in controls (0.84 +/- 0.3 vs 0.64 +/- 0.08 kPa x l(-1) x s; t = 9.991; P < 0.0001). Resistance decreased with age in controls (r = -0.95; P < 0.001), but not in infected children (r= -0.22; P = 0.105). Resistance did not correlate with mothers' intravenous drug addiction, perinatal data, T-cell subset numbers, treatment, clinical course, or presence of respiratory complications. Resistance was higher (t = 3.103; P < 0.003) in p24 antigen-positive than in negative children. Thirty-nine children underwent a second evaluation 12.3 months (range 11.1-14 months) after the first. Resistance was higher (t = 3.960; P < 0.0001) at the second evaluation compared to the first. Eight of 14 children had abnormal spirometric measurements. We conclude that perinatal HIV-1 infection is associated with increased airway resistance and often abnormal spirometry. The degree of abnormalities in resistance depends on the duration of the infection rather than on HIV-1-related respiratory complications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Chieti, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Martino
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Veneruso
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gabiano
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Frongia
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tulisso
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lombardi
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Tovo
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Galli
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vierucci
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000151:congenital* / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000635:transmission; D000403:Airway Resistance; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D015497:HIV-1; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D008297:Male; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D013147:Spirometry; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric