Insulin resistance and intestinal integrity in children with and without HIV infection in Uganda

OBJECTIVES: The risk of cardiometabolic complications in children with perinatally acquired HIV infection (PHIVs) and in perinatally HIV-exposed but uninfected children (HEUs) and its relationship to systemic inflammation and markers of gut integrity are not well established. In this current study, we assed insulin resitance in PHIV compared to HEUs and HIV unexposed uninfected children and explored potential association with intestinal damage biomarkers. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study in PHIVs, HEUs and HIV-unexposed, uninfected children (HUUs) aged 2-10 years enrolled in Uganda. PHIVs were on stable antiretroviral therapy (ART) with HIV viral load /= 0.05). After adjusting for age and sTNFRI, BMI remained independently associated with the HOMA-IR index (beta = 0.16; P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Despite viral suppression, Ugandan PHIVs have disturbances in glucose metabolism. Higher BMI, and not immune activation or alteration of gut integrity, was associated with insulin resistance in this population.