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

Authors

  • Michella Dinah Zastrow UNISUL
  • Liliane Janete Grando Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina
  • Aroldo Prohmann de Carvalho UFSC
  • Inês Beatriz da Silva Rath UFSC
  • Maria Cristina Calvo UFSC

Keywords:

HIV, pediatric AIDS, adenoids, lateral cephalometric radiograph

Abstract

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).

Author Biographies

Michella Dinah Zastrow, UNISUL

Mestre em Radiologia Professora de Radiologia e de Estomatologia Curso de Odontologia Universidade do Sul de Santa Catarina Tubarão, SC

Liliane Janete Grando, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina

Mestre em Odontopediatria pela UFSC Doutora em Estomatologia pela PUCRS Professora de Patologia Bucal e do Ambulatório de Estomatologia do HU/UFSC Florianopolis, SC

Aroldo Prohmann de Carvalho, UFSC

Dr, Professor de Pediatria Médico da Equipe de Infectologia Pediátrica Hospital Infantil Joana de Gusmão Florianopolis, SC

Inês Beatriz da Silva Rath, UFSC

Mestre e Dra em Odontopediatria pela UFSC Coordenadora do Curso de Odontologia da UFSC Florianópolis, SC

Maria Cristina Calvo, UFSC

Dra Professora do Departamento de Saúde Pública da UFSC Florianópolis, SC

Downloads

Published

2010-06-11

Issue

Vol. 25 No. 3 (2010)

Section

Original Article

License

COPYRIGHT
The submission of originals to Odonto Ciência implies the transfer by the authors of the right for publication. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication. If the authors wish to include the same data into another publication, they must cite Odonto Ciência as the site of original publication.

CREATIVE COMMONS LICENSE
As this journal is open access, the articles are allowed free use in scientific and educational applications, with citation of the source.
According to the type of Creative Commons License (CC-BY 4.0) adopted by Odonto Ciência, the user must respect the requirements below.

You are free to:
Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format.
Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially.

However, only under the following terms:
Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests Odonto Ciência endorses you or your use.
No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.

Notices:
You do not have to comply with the license for elements of the material in the public domain or where your use is permitted by an applicable exception or limitation.
No warranties are given. The license may not give you all of the permissions necessary for your intended use. For example, other rights such as publicity, privacy, or moral rights may limit how you use the material.

For more details on the Creative Commons license, please follow the link in the footer of this website.