Micronutrients and Nutritional Status among Children living with HIV with and without Severe Acute Malnutrition: IMPAACT P1092

Background: Micronutrient deficiencies due to malabsorption, gut infections, and altered gut barrier function are common in children living with HIV (CLHIV) and may worsen with severe acute malnutrition (SAM). Methods: : This secondary analysis of IMPAACT P1092, a Phase IV, multicenter, open label, non-randomized study of zidovudine (ZDV), lamivudine (3TC), and lopinavir/ritonavir (LPV/r) pharmacokinetics, safety, and tolerability enrolled SAM and non-SAM CLHIV age 6 to <36 months. Children initiated WHO recommended nutritional rehabilitation prior to enrollment when indicated at screening and were stratified by nutritional status and followed for 48 weeks. Zinc, selenium, serum protein and albumin were measured at entry and week 48 with albumin and total protein serum also measured at weeks 8 and 16. Results: Fifty-two participants, 25 SAM and 27 non-SAM, of median (Q1,Q3) age 19 (13,25) and 18 (12,25) months respectively, were enrolled. Zinc deficiency was present at entry in 2/27 (8%) from the SAM cohort. Mean (SD) baseline zinc levels for the SAM and non-SAM cohort [52.2(15.3), 54.7(12.2) µg/dL] and selenium [92.9(25.0), 84.3(29.2) µg/L] were similar, and there was no difference in change from study entry to week 48 for both: mean (95% CI) difference SAM minus non-SAM of -0.3 (-11.2,10.5) µg/dL and -5.1 (-20.1,9.8) µg/L for zinc and selenium respectively. Mean (SD) baseline total protein levels [75.2(13.2), 77.3(9.4) g/L] and mean change from entry to 48 weeks were similar between cohorts (mean difference (95% CI) (4.6 (-2.4,11.6). The SAM cohort had significantly lower serum albumin levels at entry compared to the non-SAM cohort (mean difference (95% CI) 6.2 (-10.1, -2.4) g/L) and levels were similar after 48 weeks (mean difference (95% CI) 0.4 (-2.2, 2.9) g/L). Mean increase in albumin at 48 weeks was greater in the SAM cohort (mean difference (95% CI) 6.3 (1.9, 10.7) g/L). Conclusions: These children who were on highly active combination antiretroviral therapy and had malnutrition showed normal levels of selenium and zinc after 10-18 days of nutritional rehabilitation. Entry albumin levels were lower in SAM compared to non-SAM, with normalization to non-SAM levels by 48 weeks. Total protein levels were similar at entry and week 48. Trial Registration The study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT01818258 26/03/2013