Assessment of left ventricular diastolic function in children with HIV/AIDS attending a tertiary health Facility in Enugu, Nigeria: a Doppler echocardiographic study

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence and factors associated with left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in children with HIV/AIDS. METHOD: Echocardiographic studies were carried out in 90 children/adolescents aged 18 months to 14 years. with HIV/AIDS and a healthy control group of 90 age and gender matched. RESULTS: 47.8% of the HIV/AIDS patients (subjects) had LVDD. This was more pronounced in the AIDS group (100%). The E/A ratio was 1.9 ± 0.56 in the HIV group, 2.09 ± 0.04 in the AIDS group, and 1.20 ± 0.39 in the control group (p = 0.04). The mean Left ventricular isovolumic relaxation time (IVRT) was 79.4 ± 20.12 in the HIV group, 110.4 ± 10.12 in the AIDS group and 89.22 ± 25.76 in the control group. (p = 0.04). Deceleration time (DT) was also lower in HIV carrier group compared to AIDS group, p = 0.02. A restrictive filling pattern was the most described; with 27 (36.5%) in the HIV group, 16 (100.0%) in the AIDS group and 2 (2.2%) in the control group. (p = 0.02). The impaired relaxation pattern, 3 (4.0%) seen in the HIV group only. Positive correlation exists between body surface area (BSA) and LVDD. Body surface area and younger age were the significant predictors (BSA: r = 0.425, p = 0.038 in HIV and r = 0.827, p = 0.042) of LVDD in the AIDS group. CONCLUSION: This study showed a high prevalence of LVDD in Nigerian children with HIV and AIDS. This justifies inclusion of echocardiographic studies in the policy care of children with HIV/AIDS in sub-Sahara Africa region.