title: Hormonal, auxological and clinical follow-up in children with connatal HIV infection. Personal records.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  HIV infection and antiretroviral drugs have relevant endocrine implications, affecting growth and pubertal development. Moreover stature impairment cannot depend only on decreased hormonal secretion.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied for 7 years growth, puberty, bone maturation, hormonal secretion [Growth Hormone (GH) basal and after stimulation with Clonidin and Insulin, Insulin-like Growth Factor 1 (IGF-1), Insulin-like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3 (IGFBP-3), FSH, LH- gonadic hormones axis, ACTH, Cortisol, TSH, fT4, T4, T3, anti-thyroid antibodies, Leptin] of 10 HIV-infected children.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 3 patients stature was <-2 SDS in the first 2 years and in prepubertal age, with intervals of improved growth. The weight was >2 SDS in 6 children, <-2 SDS in 1 girl, while the other 3 patients had a weight <-2SDS only in the first 2 years of life. Height growth velocity was >10 degrees Centile all over the years of follow-up in 9 patients, while weight growth velocity was pathological in 5. Leptinemia showed higher levels at the beginning of follow up: 0.82-11.68 ng/L (M+/-DS: 3.29+/-4.15) than at the end of the study: 0.2-3 ng/L (M+/-DS: 1.65+/-1.01). Leptin levels showed a statistically significant correlation with CD4/CD8 count (P: 0.010; r: 0.916) and with the CDC stage (P: 0.006; r: 0.937), meaning a strong link to the severity of the disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A good clinical control of HIV infection can guarantee growth within physiological centile in most of HIV-infected children. Over all IGFBP-3 and IGF-1 are good markers of growth, more usable than GH.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Infectious Diseases and Virology, University of Palermo, Piazza Edison 2, 90144 Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Titone
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Maggio
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Di Carlo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Romano
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Teresi
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Guicciardino
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saitta
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Liotta
mesh_terms: D001846:Bone Development; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000635:transmission; D006728:Hormones / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D008297:Male; D011627:Puberty
chemical_list: D006728:Hormones