Severe infections in HIV-exposed uninfected infants: clinical evidence of immunodeficiency.
We describe the clinical and basic immunological findings of eight HIV-exposed uninfected infants hospitalized with serious infectious morbidity and referred for immunological evaluation. The median age at presentation was 5.5 (1.5-15) months. Infections included Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia (three), cytomegalovirus colitis with perforation (one), Pseudomonas sepsis (two), hemorrhagic varicella (one) and Group A streptococcal meningitis and endocarditis (one). Five required intensive care, four for assisted ventilation and one for post-surgical care. Follow-up to 36 months suggested resolution of a transient immunodeficiency in two infants, one of whom had CD4 and the other B-cell depletion. Further studies are indicated in HIV-exposed uninfected infants.
Slogrove
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AL
Tygerberg Children's Hospital and Stellenbosch University, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Tygerberg, 7505 Western Cape, South Africa. amy@sun.ac.za
Cotton
M F
MF
Esser
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MM
D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000635:transmission; D015497:HIV-1; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D007223:Infant; D007239:Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D007902:Length of Stay; D009017:Morbidity; D045363:Pneumocystis carinii / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011020:Pneumonia, Pneumocystis / Q000175:diagnosis; D011247:Pregnancy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors