Final height in patients perinatally infected with the human immunodeficiency virus.
BACKGROUND
Data concerning final height are completely lacking in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected children.


METHODS
Retrospective evaluation of auxological data up to final height in a cohort of patients with perinatal HIV infection.


METHODS
In 95 Caucasian patients (57 females and 38 males, median age 17.5 years) the following data were evaluated as standard deviation (SD) score: prepubertal height (PrH), height velocity (HV), final height (FH), target height (TH), FH minus PrH, predicted adult height (PAH), FH minus PAH, and FH minus TH.


RESULTS
Patients showed a significantly reduced PrH and FH compared to their TH (p < 0.001), even if no difference was evidenced between PrH and FH. Age at puberty onset displayed a negative significant correlation with PrH (p = 0.002) and CD4+ cell percentage (p < 0.01). Finally, HV displayed a significant correlation with viremia (p = 0.001), but not with CD4+ cell percentage.


CONCLUSIONS
HIV perinatally infected patients show a FH significantly reduced and not in accordance with TH. Our data seem to suggest that the losses in stature accumulated throughout the total period of childhood and adolescence may contribute to their reduced FH.
Stagi
S
S
Department of Paediatrics, Anna Meyer Children's University Hospital, Florence, Italy. stefano.stagi@yahoo.it
Galli
L
L
Cecchi
C
C
Chiappini
E
E
Losi
S
S
Gattinara
C G
CG
Gabiano
C
C
Tovo
P A
PA
Bernardi
S
S
Chiarelli
F
F
de Martino
Maurizio
M
D000293:Adolescent; D001827:Body Height; D005260:Female; D006678:HIV; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious; D012189:Retrospective Studies