The relationship between nasopharyngeal tonsil size and laboratory markers in children infected with HIV

• Published in: Revista odonto ciência Vol. 25; no. 3; pp. 230 - 233
• Main Authors: Dinah Zastrow, Michella, Janete Grando, Liliane, Prohmann de Carvalho, Aroldo, Beatriz da Silva Rath, Inês, Cristina Calvo, Maria
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Portuguese
• Published: Porto Alegre EDIPUCRS 2010; Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul
• Subjects: Age; CD4 antigen; Cell number; Children; DENTISTRY, ORAL SURGERY & MEDICINE; Disease transmission; Human immunodeficiency virus; Hypertrophy; Lymphocytes T; medical records; Mouth; Nasopharynx; Radiography; Respiration; Tonsil; radiografia cefalométrica lateral; HIV; lateral cephalometric radiograph; adenoids; AIDS pediátrica; adenóide; pediatric AIDS
• ISSN: 0102-9460; 1980-6523; 1980-6523
• DOI: 10.1590/S1980-65232010000300002

Purpose: The enlargement of nasopharyngeal tonsils, which leads to nasal obstruction and subsequent mouth breathing, can be caused by the presence of HIV. The aim of this research was to study nasopharyngeal tonsil sizes in HIV-infected children ranging from 6 to 13 years and to relate these findings to CD4+ T-cell counts and viral loads. Methods: Sixty children with HIV (mean age: 9 years and 8 months), infected by vertical transmission, had the sizes of their nasopharynx measured using lateral cephalometric radiographs, specifically focusing on the anatomical areas occupied by the nasopharyngeal tonsils. The children's medical records were analyzed to assess information about TCD4+ lymphocyte count (%) and viral loads (log10). Results: The mean value for the nasopharyngeal tonsil size percentage was 70.37%±14.07%. All of the children showed moderate or accentuated hypertrophy of nasopharyngeal tonsils. The average percentage of CD4+ T-cells among the 60 HIV-infected children was 35.01%±10.76%, whereas the mean value for the viral load was 3.35±1.08 log10. Conclusion: There was no association between the size percentages of the nasopharyngeal tonsils (calculated against overall nasopharynx sizes) and CD4+ T-cell percentage (r=-0.0136; P=0.298) or the viral load log10 (r=-0.033; P=0.805).