Abstract:
Background and Aim: Kidney disease occurs frequently in human
immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected individuals and is a leading
contributor to morbidity and mortality in patients with HIV. Early detection
of kidney damage will aid in instituting interventional measures that could
slow down or halt the progression of kidney disease. The aim of this study
was to determine the prevalence and risk factors of microalbuminuria in HIV
infected children in Jos, Nigeria and compare them with those of HIV
negative children.
Methods: A total of 135 HIV infected and 135 HIV uninfected children aged
1-18 years were screened for microalbuminuria using microalbumin 2-1
combo test strips. Logistic regression analysis was used for determination of
the association between microalbuminuria and various predicted risk factors.
Results: Thirty (22.2%) HIV infected and 13 (9.6%) uninfected children had
microalbuminuria (p = 0.001). Logistic regression analysis showed that an
increase in the WHO clinical stage was significantly associated with the
presence of microalbuminuria in HIV infected children (p = 0.004).
Conclusion: The prevalence of microalbuminuria is higher in HIV infected
children, as such the detection of microalbuminuria as early as possible in
the course of the disease and prompt initiation of therapy are very important
in our resource poor environment.
