Changes in immune system functions are one of the most important consequences of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Studies have reported a higher prevalence of disease mediated by immunological hypersensitivity mechanisms in HIV-positive patients. This study aims to observe how immunological changes in HIV-infected children interfere in atopy determinants. Fifty-seven HIV-positive children were studied between June 2004-August 2005 to evaluate the possible modifications in atopy diagnosis from prick test environmental allergen reactivity. Patients were subjected to two evaluations: on both occasions, atopic and non-atopic groups were correlated with immunological (CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocyte concentrations and serum levels of IgA, IgM, IgG and IgE) and viral parameters (HIV viral load). The percent atopy was 20.05 in the first and 29.82 in the second evaluation and atopy was diagnosed in patients without immunosuppression or with moderate immunosuppression. Six patients changed from a negative to a positive atopy profile. One patient with a decreased CD4+ T lymphocyte concentration failed to demonstrate prick test positivity between evaluations. Multivariate analysis showed that the variables associated with atopy diagnosis included a personal history of allergic diseases as well as elevated IgE for age and elevated IgE levels. Atopy development in HIV-infected children seems to be modulated by genetic and environmental factors as well as immunological condition.

This study evaluated the degree of neurological compromise in HIV-infected children accompanied by the outpatient clinic of infectious diseases and pediatric neurology of the Clinical Hospital of the Federal University of Paraná (UFPR) starting in 1995. Long-term progressive prospective and cross sectional study of 88 children infected by HIV and 84 seroreverter children, using data from general neurological examinations, neuroimaging procedures (brain CT scan) and neurodevelopmental tests (CAT/CLAMS and DENVER I and II). Neurological and neurodevelopmental alterations were found in 82% of the HIV-infected patients and in 36% of the HIV-seroreverter group (P <0.01). In the CAT/CLAMS test, the development quotient (DQ) of the HIV-infected group was significantly lower than that of the HIV-seroreverter group. CAT/CLAMS scores lower than 70 (mental deficiency) were found in 31% of the HIV-infected patients during the first year of life and in only 1% of the patients of the HIV-seroreverter group, demonstrating the validity of this screening test for precocious detection of alterations in the neurodevelopment of infected patients. The same occurred with the Denver I and II tests, as the HIV-infected group failed more frequently than the HIV-seroreverter group. Nine HIV-infected children presented altered brain CT scans; calcification of basal ganglia was the main finding (five cases). Encephalopathy due to HIV causes early arrest of neurodevelopment, which can be detected with screening tests during the first year of life.

Patients with AIDS have a high incidence of skin problems due to the immunosuppression and malnourishment that are inherent to the progression of this disease. Clinical manifestation of these skin lesions and their severity are different in AIDS patients. We made a prospective study of five cases of measles in children with HIV infection during a community outbreak, and there were typical as well as atypical forms of the disease, including one case with negative serology. There were pulmonary complications, but none of the patients died. The anti-retroviral treatment may have contributed to the decrease in measles morbidity in these pediatric AIDS patients.

Objetivou-se com o presente estudo detectar anormalidades neurológicas em crianças infectadas pelo vírus da imunodeficiência humana (HIV). Avaliou-se prospectivamente, de novembro de 1995 a abril de 2000, 43 crianças infectadas pelo HIV (grupo I) e 40 crianças sororevertidas (grupo II), por meio de exame neurológico, testes de screening de neurodesenvolvimento: Teste Denver de Triagem de Desenvolvimento (DDST) e Teste de Adaptação Clínica / Escala Linguística e Desenvolvimento Auditivo (CAT/CLAMS). Como grupo controle (III), foram avaliadas 67 crianças pelo CAT/CLAMS. Hiperatividade, irritabilidade e hipotonia foram as alterações encontradas ao exame neurológico, não ocorrendo diferenças estatísticas entre as crianças infectadas ou sororevertidas. No CAT/CLAMS o quociente de desenvolvimento (QD) do grupo I foi significativamente mais baixo que dos outros . O mesmo ocorreu no DDST, com o grupo I apresentando reprovações mais frequentes que o grupo II. Tomografia axial computadorizada de crânio foi realizada em 19 crianças do grupo I, sendo anormal em três delas (calcificação de gânglios da base, hipodensidade de substância branca e assimetria de ventrículos laterais). Conclui-se que, nas crianças infectadas, o atraso do neurodesenvolvimento ocorre precocemente e pode ser detectado por testes de screening.

The aim of the study was to detect neurological abnormalities in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected children. This was achieved by a prospective evaluation, from November/1995 to April/2000, of 43 HIV infected children (group I) and 40 HIV seroreverters children (group II) through neurological exam and neurodevelopmental tests: Denver Developmental Screening Test (DDST) and Clinical Adaptive Test / Clinical Linguistic and Auditory Milestone Scale (CAT/CLAMS). A control group (III), of 67 children, were evaluated by CAT/CLAMS. Hyperactivity, irritability and hypotonia were the findings on neurological examination, without statistical differences between group I and II. On CAT/CLAMS, the group I developmental quotient (DQ) was significantly lower than the other groups. The same occurred in DDST, with group I presenting significantly more failures than group II. Nineteen HIV children of group I had brain computed tomographic scan, with abnormalities in three of them (basal ganglia calcification, white matter hypodensity and asymmetry of lateral ventricles). We conclude that in HIV infected children a neurodevelopment delay occur early in the disease, and it can be detected by screening tests.

A dilatação aneurismática dos vasos do polígono de Willis é manifestação incomum da infecção pelo vírus da imunodeficiência adquirida (HIV), tendo sido relatados, até o momento, 15 casos na literatura. O presente estudo tem por objetivo relatar um novo caso dessa apresentação rara, além de revisar aspectos importantes relacionados à mesma. Um paciente, do sexo masculino, 6 anos de idade, com síndrome da imunodeficiência adquirida (AIDS) de transmissão perinatal e tetraparesia, desenvolveu sintomas caracterizados por episódios de crises distônicas. A tomografia computadorizada de crânio, que inicialmente era normal, mostrou dilatação aneurismática dos vasos do polígono de Willis. A revisão de literatura demonstra que os principais achados patológicos em casos similares, são, principalmente, fibrose de camada média com destruição da lâmina interna e hiperplasia da íntima. A etiologia da vasculite não é conhecida, acreditando-se que o vírus da varicela-zoster e o próprio HIV possam estar relacionados à mesma. Conclui-se que, apesar de incomum, tal complicação apresenta grande importância pelo fato dos aneurismas colocarem esses pacientes em grupo de alto risco para acidentes vasculares. A sobrevida relatada na literatura é de menos de 6 meses após o diagnóstico da arteriopatia aneurismática cerebral.

Cerebral aneurysmal arteriopathy of the circle of Willis is an uncommon manifestation of acquired human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and up to now only 15 cases have been published in the literature. For this reason we add our experience of this rare case, and review the most important aspects related to this entity. The patient is a 6 year old male with perinatal transmitted AIDS, tetraparethic, developed symptoms characterized by episodes of dystonic postures. The computed tomography of the brain showed aneurismal arteriopathy of the circle of Willis. He had a previous normal examination. The review of the literature shows the pathological abnormalities of the affected vessels are mainly medial fibrosis, with destruction of the internal elastic lamina and intimal hyperplasia. The etiology for the vasculitis is unknown. Varicela zoster virus, as well as HIV by itself, can be related to the physiopathology of the vasculitis. On conclusion, it can be said that although uncommon, such complications are of great importance by the fact that the patients with vascular aneurismal arteriopathy are in high risk for vascular accidents, and once a diagnosis was made, death occurs in less than 6 months, according to the literature.