Left ventricular systolic function in Nigerian children with human immunodeficiency virus infection.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this article was to compare the left ventricular (LV) systolic function of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected children with that of healthy controls, determine the prevalence of LV systolic dysfunction in HIV-infected children, and its association with age, stage of disease, and use of zidovudine.


METHODS
This was a comparative cross-sectional descriptive study.


METHODS
A University Teaching Hospital in North-Central Nigeria in 2008.


METHODS
One hundred fifty HIV-infected children aged 6 weeks-14 years, and an equal number of age- and sex-matched apparently healthy controls.


METHODS
Left ventricular internal dimensions in diastole and systole, LV fractional shortening (FS) and ejection fraction (EF). Left ventricular systolic dysfunction was considered present when FS was <28% or EF was <50%.


RESULTS
Mean LV internal dimensions in diastole was similar in subjects and controls (P= .26). Left ventricular internal dimensions in systole was significantly larger in subjects (2.7 cm, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.6-2.8 cm) than controls (2.4 cm, 95% CI 2.3-2.5 cm) (P < .001). Mean FS of 27.8% (26.8-28.8%) in subjects was significantly reduced compared with 33.7% (33.1-34.3%) in controls (P < .001), as was EF 61.5% (60.7-62.3%) in subjects and 70.5% (69.7-71.3%) in controls (P < .001). Left ventricular systolic dysfunction was detected in 75 (50.0%, 95% CI 41.7-58.3%) subjects and 5 (3.3%, 95% CI 2.2-6.7) controls (P < .001). Subjects with left ventricular systolic dysfunction were significantly older than those without (P < .001) but did not differ significantly from them with respect to zidovudine therapy or stage of disease.


CONCLUSIONS
Left ventricular systolic dysfunction is significantly more frequent in HIV-infected children compared with controls. Left ventricular systolic function in HIV-infected children deteriorates with increasing age and should be serially evaluated in them.
Department of Paediatrics, Jos University Teaching Hospital, Jos, Nigeria. kemidr@hotmail.com
Olukemi Omowumi
OO
Ige
Stephen
S
Oguche
Fidelia
F
Bode-Thomas
D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D018450:Disease Progression; D018619:Echocardiography, Doppler, Pulsed; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009200:Myocardial Contraction; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D013318:Stroke Volume; D013599:Systole; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left; D015215:Zidovudine / Q000627:therapeutic use
D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D015215:Zidovudine