Lopinavir/ritonavir exposure in treatment-naive HIV-infected children following twice or once daily administration.

Objectives: Lopinavir/ritonavir is approved for treatment of HIV-infected children at a dosage regimen of 230/57.5 mg/m(2) twice daily. However, once daily administration could increase convenience and patient adherence.

Improvement in dyslipidaemia after switching stavudine to tenofovir and replacing protease inhibitors with efavirenz in HIV-infected children.

Objective: To assess the impact on immunological, virological and metabolic parameters of replacing protease inhibitors (PIs) with efavirenz and replacing stavudine with tenofovir in HIV-infected children.

Methods: A 48-week prospective evaluation of 28 HIV-infected children, with stable undetectable HIV-1 loads, who were taking highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) containing lamivudine, stavudine and a PI. Individuals were randomized to switch PI to efavirenz and stavudine to tenofovir at baseline (Group 1) or at week 24 (Group 2).

A 12-month treatment with tenofovir does not impair bone mineral accrual in HIV-infected children.

Background: Short-term use of tenofovir (TDF) has been associated with bone mineral loss in adults and children.

Objective: To assess whether the substitution of stavudine with TDF would result in decreased bone mineral content (BMC) and bone mineral density (BMD) accrual in HIV-infected children.

Methods: The lumbar spine and whole-body BMC and BMD were measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry in 16 HIV-infected children (age range: 6.

Growth hormone in T-lymphocyte thymic and postthymic development: a study in HIV-infected children.

Objectives: Growth hormone (GH) plays a role in thymic function, and recombinant GH may stimulate thymopoiesis in HIV-infected individuals. We performed immunologic analyses in 26 antiretroviral-treated children matched for age, pubertal status, clinical parameters, and antiretroviral exposure who did or did not show an impaired response to GH-release stimulation tests with arginine + GH-releasing hormone.

Results: The following abnormalities were found in GH-deficient compared with GH-nondeficient children after >4 years of therapy: CD4 count ( P = .

Impaired growth hormone secretion correlates with visceral adiposity in highly active antiretroviral treated HIV-infected adolescents.

Background: HIV-infected adults with lipodystrophy, characterized by excess accumulation of intra-abdominal adipose tissue (IAT), showed impaired growth hormone (GH) secretion. Data are lacking in paediatric lipodystrophy with the same features.

Methods: Twenty-five pubertal HIV-infected children were assessed for GH response (GH-AUC(0-120 min)) to arginine + GHRH testing, insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), IGF binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3), insulin, glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, free fatty acids and nitric oxide levels.