Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Multicenter Study
. 2017 Oct;140(4):1101-1111.e7.
doi: 10.1016/j.jaci.2017.01.031. Epub 2017 Mar 6.

Long-term pulmonary complications in perinatally HIV-infected youth

Affiliations
Multicenter Study

Long-term pulmonary complications in perinatally HIV-infected youth

William T Shearer et al. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2017 Oct.

Abstract

Background: Increased incidence and prevalence of asthma have been documented for perinatally HIV-infected youth 10 to 21 years of age compared with HIV-exposed uninfected (HEU) youth.

Objective: We sought to perform objective pulmonary function tests (PFTs) in HIV-infected and HEU youth with and without diagnosed asthma.

Method: Asthma was determined in 370 participants (218 HIV-infected and 152 HEU participants) by means of chart review and self-report at 13 sites. Interpretable PFTs (188 HIV-infected and 132 HEU participants) were classified as obstructive, restrictive, or normal, and reversibility was determined after bronchodilator inhalation. Values for HIV-1 RNA, CD4 and CD8 T cells, eosinophils, total IgE, allergen-specific IgE, and urinary cotinine were measured. Adjusted prevalence ratios (PRs) of asthma and PFT outcomes were determined for HIV-infected participants relative to HEU participants, controlling for age, race/ethnicity, and sex.

Results: Current asthma was identified in 75 (34%) of 218 HIV-infected participants and 38 (25%) of 152 HEU participants (adjusted PR, 1.33; P = .11). The prevalence of obstructive disease did not differ by HIV status. Reversibility was less likely in HIV-infected youth than in HEU youth (17/183 [9%] vs 21/126 [17%]; adjusted PR, 0.47; P = .020) overall and among just those with obstructive PFT results (adjusted PR, 0.46; P = .016). Among HIV-infected youth with current asthma, serum IgE levels were inversely correlated with CD8 T-cell counts and positively correlated with eosinophil counts and not associated with CD4 T-cell counts. HIV-infected youth had lower association of specific IgE levels to several inhalant and food allergens compared with HEU participants and significantly lower CD4/CD8 T-cell ratios (suggesting immune imbalance).

Conclusion: Compared with HEU youth, HIV-infected youth demonstrated decreased reversibility of obstructive lung disease, which is atypical of asthma. This might indicate an early stage of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Follow-up into adulthood is warranted to further define their pulmonary outcomes.

Keywords: Pediatric HIV infection; asthma; asthma-COPD overlap syndrome; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; immune imbalance (T(H)2 shift); obstructive and restrictive pulmonary disease; pulmonary complications of HIV infection; pulmonary function testing; reversibility of obstructive air flow with bronchodilators.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Relationship between: CD4 T-cell count and Eosinophils with and without asthma A. Scatterplot of CD4 T-cell count and Log10 total serum IgE by HIV status among youth with current asthma. B. Scatterplot of CD8 T-cell count and Log10 total serum IgE by HIV status among youth with current asthma. C. Scatterplot of CD4/CD8 Ratio and Log10 Total Serum IgE by HIV Status among those with Current Asthma D. Scatterplot of eosinophils and Log10 total serum IgE by HIV status among youth with asthma status.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Percent of youth with high levels of specific IgE to allergens by HIV status among those with and without current asthma. Allergens with no significant immune reactivity were omitted.

References

    1. George MP, Kannass M, Huang L, Sciurba FC, Morris A. Respiratory symptoms and airway obstruction in HIV-infected subjects in the HAART era. PLoS One. 2009;4:e6328. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Gingo MR, George MP, Kessinger CJ, Lucht L, Rissler B, Weinman R, et al. Pulmonary function abnormalities in HIV-infected patients during the current antiretroviral therapy era. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2010;182:790–796. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Cui Q, Carruthers S, McIvor A, Smaill F, Thabane L, Smieja M. Effect of smoking on lung function, respiratory symptoms and respiratory diseases amongst HIV-positive subjects: a cross-sectional study. AIDS Res Ther. 2010;7:6. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Drummond MB, Kirk GD, Astemborski J, Marshall MM, Mehta SH, McDyer JF, et al. Association between obstructive lung disease and markers of HIV infection in a high-risk cohort. Thorax. 2012;67(4):309–14. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Kristoffersen US, Lebech AM, Mortensen J, Gerstoft J, Gutte H, Kjaer A. Changes in lung function of HIV-infected patients: a 4.5-year follow-up study. Clin Physiol Funct Imaging. 2012;32(4):288–95. - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances