Malnutrition, Growth Response and Metabolic Changes Within the First 24 Months After ART Initiation in HIV-infected Children Treated Before the Age of 2 Years in West Africa

Underlying Causes and Co-existence of Malnutrition and Infections: An Exceedingly Common Death Risk in Cancer

In nutrition science, malnutrition is a state of imbalance between intake and the needs of the organism, leading to metabolic changes, impaired physiological functions, and weight loss. Regardless of the countless efforts being taken and researched for years, the burden of malnutrition is still alarming and considered a significant agent of mortality across the globe. Around 45% of 12 million children deaths (0–5 years old) annually are due to malnutrition, mostly from developing countries. Malnutrition develops associations with other infections and leads to substantial clinical outcomes, such as mortality, more visits to hospitals, poor quality of life and physical frailty, and socioeconomic issues. Here, in this review, we intend to provide an overview of the current burden, underlying risk factors, and co-existence of malnutrition and other infections, such as cancer. Following the rising concern of the vicious interplay of malnutrition and other medical illnesses, we believed that this narrative review would highlight the need to re-make and re-define the future strategies by giving comprehensive and sustainable programs to alleviate poverty and combat the rampant infectious diseases and those nutrition-related health problems. Furthermore, the study also raises the concern for hospitalized malnourished cancer patients as it is crucially important to knowledge the caregiver healthcare staff for early interventions of providing nutritional support to delay or prevent the onset of malnutrition.

Under-nutrition and associated factors among children infected with human immunodeficiency virus in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

In the developing world, such as the sub-Saharan African region, HIV/AIDS has worsened the impact of under-nutrition in children. HIV infected children are highly vulnerable to under-nutrition. Therefore, the objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to estimate the pooled prevalence of under-nutrition, and the pooled effect sizes of associated factors among HIV-infected children in sub-Saharan Africa.

Methods

The primary studies for this review were retrieved from PubMed/ MEDLINE online, Science Direct, Hinari, web of science, CINHAL, EMBASE, WHO databases, Google, and Google Scholar databases. The articles selected for this meta-analysis were published between 2010 and 2020. The last search date was 18 October 2021. The data was extracted in Microsoft Excel format and exported to STATA Version 14.0. A random effect meta-analysis model was used. Heterogeneity was evaluated by the I² test. The Egger weighted regression test was used to assess publication bias.

Results

We retrieved 847 records from these databases. Of which records, 813 were excluded due to different reasons and 34 studies were included in the final analysis. The pooled prevalence of stunting, underweight and wasting in HIV infected children was 46.7% (95% CI; 40.36–53.07, I² = 98.7%, p < 0.01), 35.9% (95% CI; 30.79–41.02, I² = 97.4% p < 0.01), and 23.0% (95% CI; 18.67–27.42, I² = 96.9%, p < 0.01) respectively. The advanced WHO HIV/AIDS clinical staging (III&IV) [OR = 6.74 (95%: 1.747, 26.021), I² = 94.7%] and household food insecurity were associated with stunting [OR = 5.92 (95% CI 3.9, 8.87), I² = 55.7%]. Low family economic status [OR = 4.737 (95% CI: 2.605, 8.614), I² = 31.2%] and increased feeding frequency [OR = 0.323 (95% CI: 0.172, 0.605), I² = 69.8%] were significantly associated with under-weight. Anemia [OR = 2.860 (95% CI: 1.636, 5.000), I² = 74.8%] and diarrhea in the previous month [OR = 4.117 (95% CI: 2.876, 5.894), I² = 0.0%] were also associated with wasting among HIV infected children in sub-Saharan Africa.

Conclusions

The pooled prevalence of under-nutrition among HIV infected children was high. Nutritional assessment and interventions need great attention as a part of HIV care for HIV positive children. The implementation of policies and strategies established by national and international stakeholders in ART care centres should take a maximum emphasis on reducing under-nutrition among HIV infected children.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13690-021-00785-z.

Nutrition in HIV-Infected Infants and Children: Current Knowledge, Existing Challenges, and New Dietary Management Opportunities

HIV infection and undernutrition remain significant public health concerns for infants and children. In infants and children under these conditions, undernutrition is one of the leading causes of death. Proper management of nutrition and related nutrition complications in these groups with increased nutrition needs are prominent challenges, particularly in HIV-prevalent poor-resource environments. Several studies support the complexity of the relation between HIV infection, nutrition, and the immune system. These elements interact and create a vicious circle of poor health outcomes. Recent studies on the use of probiotics as a novel approach to manage microbiome imbalance and gut-mucosal impairment in HIV infection are gaining attention. This new strategy could help to manage dysbiosis and gut-mucosal impairment by reducing immune activation, thereby potentially forestalling unwanted health outcomes in children with HIV. However, existing trials on HIV-infected children are still insufficient. There are also conflicting reports on the dosage and effectiveness of single or multiple micronutrient supplementation in the survival of HIV-infected children with severe acute malnutrition. The WHO has published guidelines that include time of initiation of antiretroviral therapy for HIV-pregnant mothers and their HIV-exposed or HIV-infected children, micronutrient supplementation, dietary formulations, prevention, and management of HIV therapy. However, such guidelines need to be reviewed owing to recent advances in the field of nutrition. There is a need for new intervention studies, practical strategies, and evidence-based guidelines to reduce the disease burden, improve adherence to treatment regimen, and enhance the nutrition, health, and well-being of HIV-infected infants and children. This review provides up-to-date scientific information on current knowledge and existing challenges for nutrition therapy in HIV-infected infants and children. Moreover, it presents new research findings that could be incorporated into current guidelines.

H, Bhavesh NS, Tandon R. Plasma metabolomic study in perinatally HIV-infected children using 1H NMR spectroscopy reveals perturbed metabolites that sustain during therapy

BACKGROUND

Perinatally HIV-infected children on anti-retroviral treatment (ART) are reported to have metabolic abnormalities such as dyslipidemia, lipodystrophy, and insulin resistance which potentially increase the risk of diabetes, kidney, liver and cardiovascular disease.

OBJECTIVE

To elucidate HIV-mediated metabolic complications that sustain even during ART in perinatally HIV-infected children.

METHOD

We have carried out metabolic profiling of the plasma of treatment-naïve and ART-suppressed perinatally HIV-infected children and uninfected controls using 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy followed by statistical analysis and annotation.

RESULT

Validated multivariate analysis showed clear distinction among our study groups. Our results showed elevated levels of lactate, glucose, phosphoenolpyruvic acid, propionic acid, 2-ketobutyric acid and tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle metabolites in untreated HIV-infected children compared to uninfected controls. ART normalized the levels of several metabolites, however the level of lactate, phosphoenolpyruvic acid, oxoglutaric acid, oxaloacetic acid, myoinositol and glutamine remained upregulated despite ART in HIV-infected children. Pathway analysis revealed perturbed propanoate metabolism, amino acid metabolism, glycolysis and TCA cycle in untreated and ART-suppressed HIV-infected children.

CONCLUSION

Developing therapeutic strategies targeting metabolic abnormalities may be beneficial for preventing diabetes, cardiovascular disease or other associated complications in perinatally HIV-infected children.

Mitochondrial Impairment in Well-Suppressed Children with Perinatal HIV-Infection on Antiretroviral Therapy

Mitochondrial impairment is reported in HIV-infected children receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART), as well as those naive to ART. Whether mitochondrial function recovers with early initiation of ART and sustained viral suppression on long-term ART is unclear. In this study, we evaluate mitochondrial markers in well-suppressed perinatally HIV-infected children initiated on ART early in life. We selected a cross-sectional sample of 120 HIV-infected children with viral load <400 copies/mL and 60 age-matched uninfected children (22 HIV-exposed uninfected) enrolled in a cohort study in Johannesburg, South Africa. Complex IV (CIV) and citrate synthase (CS) activity were measured by spectrophotometry. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) content relative to nuclear DNA (nDNA) was measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and expressed as copies/nDNA. Mitochondrial markers were impaired in HIV-infected children, including lower mean CIV activities [1.76 vs. 1.40 optical densities (OD)/min], higher risk of a CIV/CS ratio ≤0.22 (third quartile; odds ratio = 3.03, 95% confidence interval: 1.38-6.66), and lower mtDNA content. Children with shorter versus longer ART duration (<6.3 vs. ≥6.3 years) had lower means of CIV activity (1.22-1.58 OD/min) and mtDNA content (386-907 copies/nDNA). There were no differences in mitochondrial markers between children who started ART earlier (<6 months) or later (6-24 months). CIV activity was impaired in children with lower height-for-age Z-scores (HAZs). Despite early treatment and prolonged viral suppression, HIV-infected children had detectable mitochondrial impairment, particularly among those with stunted growth. Further study is required to determine if continued treatment will lead to full recovery of mitochondrial function in HIV-infected children.

Growth of young HIV-infected and HIV-exposed children in western Kenya: A retrospective chart review

Introduction

The objective of this study was to determine the growth patterns, rates of malnutrition, and factors associated with malnutrition in children born to HIV-infected mothers in western Kenya using data from an electronic medical record system.

Methods

This study was a retrospective chart review of HIV-infected (HIV+) and–exposed (HEU) children (<5 years) using data collected prospectively in the course of routine clinical care and stored in the electronic medical record system in western Kenya between January 2011 and August 2016. Demographics and anthropometrics were described, with Chi-square testing to compare proportions. Multiple variable logistic regression analysis was used to identify correlates of children being stunted, underweight, and wasted. We also examined growth curves, using a resampling method to compare the areas under the fitted growth curves to compare males/females and HIV+/HEU.

Results

Data from 15,428 children were analyzed. The children were 51.6% (n = 7,955) female, 5.2% (n = 809) orphans, 83.3% (n = 12,851) were HEU, and 16.7% (n = 2,577) were HIV+. For HIV+ children assessed at 24 months, 50.9% (n = 217) were stunted, 26.5% (n = 145) were underweight, and 13.6% (n = 58) were wasted, while 45.0% (n = 577) of HEU children were stunted, 14.8% (n = 255) were underweight, and 5.1% (n = 65) were wasted. When comparing mean z-scores, HIV+ children tended to have larger and earlier dips in z-scores compared to HIV-exposed children, with significant differences found between the two groups (p<0.001). Factors associated with an increased risk of malnutrition included being male, HIV+, and attending an urban clinic. Maternal antiretroviral treatment during pregnancy and mixed feeding at 3 months of age decreased the risk of malnutrition.

Conclusions

HIV+ and HEU children differ in their anthropometrics, with HIV+ children having overall lower z-scores. Continued efforts to develop and implement sustainable and effective interventions for malnutrition are needed for children born to HIV+ mothers.

Impact of antiretroviral treatment on height evolution of HIV infected children

BACKGROUND

Antiretroviral treatment (ART) has been shown to have a beneficial effect on the weight evolution but its effect on height remains unclear. We described patterns of height evolution and identified predictors of catch-up growth in HIV-infected children on ART.

METHODS

To describe the height evolution from birth to adulthood, we developed a nonlinear mixed effect model using data from perinatally HIV-infected children who initiated ART from 1999 to 2013 in a prospective cohort study in Thailand. The main covariates of interest were: sex, ART regimen (dual nucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitor, non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI)-, or protease inhibitor (PI)-based), baseline CD4 percentage, HIV-RNA load and CDC HIV Classification stage and occurrence of AIDS-defining events.

RESULTS

A total 477 children (43% boys) contributed 18,596 height measurements over a median duration of 6.3 years on ART (interquartile range, 3.0 to 8.3). At ART initiation, median age was 6.2 years (1.8 to 9.6), 16% of children were underweight (weight-for-age z-score < - 2), 49% presented stunting (height-for-age z-score < - 2), and 7% wasting (weight-for-height z-score < - 2). The most frequent regimen at ART initiation was NNRTI-based (79%). A model with 4 components, birth length and 3 exponential functions of age accounting for the 3 growth phases was developed and show that the height-growth velocity was inversely associated with the age at ART initiation, the adult height was significantly lower in those who had experienced at least one AIDS-defining event while, as expected, the model found that adult height in females was lower than in males. Age at ART initiation, type of ART regimen, CDC stage, CD4 percentages, and HIV-RNA load were not associated with the final height.

CONCLUSIONS

The younger the children at ART initiation, the greater the effect on height-growth velocity, supporting the World Health Organization's recommendation to start ART as early as possible. However, final adult height was not linked to the age at ART initiation.

Early treated HIV-infected children remain at risk of growth retardation during the first five years of life: Results from the ANRS-PEDIACAM cohort in Cameroon

Background

Long-term growth in HIV-infected infants treated early in resource-limited settings is poorly documented. Incidence of growth retardation, instantaneous risk of death related to malnutrition and growth parameters evolution during the first five years of life of uninfected and early treated HIV-infected children were compared and associated factors with growth retardation were identified.

Methods

Weight-for-age (WAZ), weight-for-length (WLZ), and length-for-age (LAZ) Z-scores were calculated. The ANRS-PEDIACAM cohort includes four groups of infants with three enrolled during the first week of life: HIV-infected (HI, n = 69), HIV-exposed uninfected (HEU, n = 205) and HIV-unexposed uninfected (HUU, n = 196). The last group included HIV-infected infants diagnosed before 7 months of age (HIL, n = 141). The multi-state Markov model was used to describe the incidence of growth retardation and identified associated factors.

Results

During the first 5 years, 27.5% of children experienced underweight (WAZ<-2), 60.4% stunting (LAZ<-2) and 41.1% wasting (WLZ<-2) at least once. The instantaneous risk of death observed from underweight state (35.3 [14.1–88.2], 84.0 [25.5–276.3], and 6.0 [1.5–24.1] per 1000 person-months for 0–6 months, 6–12 months, and 12–60 months respectively) was higher than from non-underweight state (9.6 [5.7–16.1], 20.1 [10.3–39.4] and 0.3 [0.1–0.9] per 1000 person-months). Compared to HEU, HIL and HI children were most at risk of wasting (adjusted HR (aHR) = 4.3 (95%CI: 1.9–9.8), P<0.001 and aHR = 3.3 (95%CI: 1.4–7.9), P = 0.01 respectively) and stunting for HIL (aHR = 8.4 (95%CI: 2.4–29.7). The risk of underweight was higher in HEU compared to HUU children (aHR = 5.0 (CI: 1.4–10.0), P = 0.001). Others associated factors to growth retardation were chronic pathologies, small size at birth, diarrhea and CD4< 25%.

Conclusions

HIV-infected children remained at high risk of wasting and stunting within the first 5 years period of follow-up. There is a need of identifying suitable nutritional support and best ways to integrate it with cART in pediatric HIV infection global care.

Growth in the first 5 years after antiretroviral therapy initiation among HIV-infected children in the IeDEA West African Pediatric Cohort

OBJECTIVE

To describe growth evolution and its correlates in the first 5 years of antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation among HIV-infected children followed up in West Africa.

METHODS

All HIV-infected children younger than 10 years followed in the IeDEA pWADA cohort while initiating ART, with at least one anthropometric measurement within the first 5 years of treatment were included in the study. Growth was described according to the WHO child growth standards, using Weight-for-age Z-score (WAZ), Height-for-age Z-score (HAZ) and Weight-for-Height/BMI-for-age Z-score (WHZ/BAZ). Growth evolution and its correlates, measured at ART initiation, were modelled in individual linear mixed models for each anthropometric indicator, with a spline term added at the 12-, 24- and 9-month time point for WAZ, HAZ and WHZ/BAZ, respectively.

RESULTS

Among the 4156 children selected (45% girls, median age at ART initiation 3.9 years [IQR interquartile range 1.9-6.6], and overall 68% malnourished at ART initiation), important gains were observed in the first 12, 24 and 9 months on ART for WAZ, HAZ and WHZ/BAZ, respectively. Correlates at ART initiation of a better growth evolution overtime were early age (<2 years of age), severe immunodeficiency for age, and severity of malnutrition.

CONCLUSIONS

Growth evolution is particularly strong within the first 2 years on ART but slows down after this period. Weight and height gains help to recover from pre-ART growth deficiency but are insufficient for the most severely malnourished. The first year on ART could be the best period for nutritional interventions to optimize growth among HIV-infected children in the long-term.