Body composition in HIV-infected children: relations with disease progression and survival.

Background: Malnutrition is common in HIV-infected children, but the body compartment that is most affected has been ill defined.

Objectives: Our objectives were to 1) compare the fat-free mass (FFM) of children with HIV infection with that of control children, 2) assess the contribution of FFM to body weight in HIV-infected children compared with that of control children, and 3) study the relations between body weight, FFM, and mortality.

Design: A cross-sectional study was performed in 86 HIV-infected and 113 uninfected children (mean ages: 6.9 and 7.7 y, respectively). FFM was estimated from single-frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis by using 3 different published equations; a further estimate was obtained from triceps-skinfold-thickness measurements.

Results: All 4 estimates of body composition showed that FFM in HIV-infected children was significantly less than in control children of similar age. However, FFM as a percentage of body weight was not significantly different between groups. In the whole group of infected children, an age-specific z score < -2 for weight and for FFM was significantly associated with an increased risk of death [relative risk (95% CI) = 11.4 (3.1, 41.0) and 5.1 (1.5, 18.2), respectively]; when only children with more severe disease were considered, only z score for weight was significantly associated with an increased risk [4.6 (1.4, 14.9)].

Conclusions: These findings suggest that no preferential catabolism of FFM occurs in HIV-infected children and that body weight for age is a better prognostic indicator than is FFM estimated by bioelectrical impedance analysis.