Original Research Article
Year: 2022 | Month: September | Volume: 12 | Issue: 9 | Pages: 194-202
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52403/ijhsr.20220927
Serum Immunoglobulin E levels and Atopic Diseases in Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected and Non-Infected Children and Their Association with the Severity of HIV Infection at a Tertiary Hospital, South-West Nigeria
Funso Abidemi Olagunju1, Samuel Olorunyomi Oninla2, Olusola Adetunji Oyedeji3, Samuel Adeyinka Adedokun4, Olasunkanmi Olubanjo5, Oluwafemi Bamidele Ogunbona6
1Consultant Paediatrician (Paediatric Infectious Diseases Unit), Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, Nigeria
2Consultant Paediatrician (Paediatric Infectious Diseases Unit), Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, Nigeria
3Professor/Consultant Paediatrician, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, Nigeria
4Chief Medical Laboratory Scientist, Department of Community Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Osun State University, Osogbo, Nigeria
5General Practitioner, GPVST Boston, East Midlands Deanery, UK
6Consultant Community Paediatrician, East Kent Hospitals University, NHS Foundation Trust, Kent, England
Corresponding Author: Samuel Olorunyomi Oninla
ABSTRACT
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection had been reported to increase serum Immunoglobulin E (IgE) and the prevalence of atopic diseases. However, there is a paucity of data in the literature on the association between the severity of HIV infection and serum IgE and atopic diseases among children in the Sub-Sahara African region, particularly Nigeria.
OBJECTIVES: To assess serum IgE levels, prevalence and pattern of atopic diseases, and their association with the severity of HIV infection in children on antiretroviral therapy.
METHODS: One hundred HIV-infected children on antiretroviral therapy recruited consecutively into a cross-sectional study were age and sex-matched with 100 non-infected. International study of asthma and allergy in childhood (ISAAC) proforma was used to obtain information from all the participants. Serum IgE levels and Cluster of differentiation (CD) 4+ counts of all the participants were determined, as well as, HIV viral load of the infected participants. HIV viral load, CD 4 counts and WHO clinical staging were used to classified HIV severity. Data analysis was done using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 21, and statistic significant level was put at p<0.05.
RESULTS: Mean (SD) serum IgE of the HIV-infected and non HIV-infected children were 150.6 (12.7)iμ/ml and 94.8 (5.6)iμ/ml respectively (p=0.001). The overall prevalence of atopic diseases among HIV-infected and non-infected children were 15.0% and 6.0% respectively, p=0.031. Among HIV-infected, allergic conjunctivitis accounted for 11.0% and allergic rhinitis 4.0%, while among non-infected allergic conjunctivitis, atopic dermatitis and asthma accounted for 4.0%, 1.0% and 1.0% respectively. Based on WHO clinical staging, serum IgE level was significantly higher in advanced disease than in early (p<0.001), and likewise the prevalence of atopic diseases (p=0.011).
CONCLUSION: An elevated level of serum IgE and a higher prevalence of atopic diseases were observed among infected children compared to non-infected counterparts. HIV disease severity was associated with elevated serum IgE and the prevalence of atopic disease. Atopic diseases should therefore be routinely sought for in HIV-infected children.
Key words: Serum immunoglobulin E, Atopic diseases, HIV severity, Children