Serum Amylase Activity in Children Living with HIV-1 at the Charles de Gaulle Pediatric University Hospital in Ouagadougou

Abstract

Biological monitoring is an essential part of the management of HIV infection. The aim of this study was to assess serum amylase activity during follow-up of children living with HIV-1 (CLHIV-1) at the Charles de Gaulle Pediatric University Hospital (CHUP-CDG). This was a descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study, with retrospective data collection from January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2022. Patients under 15 years of age who were being monitored for HIV-1 at CHUP-CDG and who had undergone a serum amylase assay during the study period were included. A total of 746 patients have been included, with a M/F sex ratio of 0.91 and a mean age of 8.52±4.08 years. Among CLHIV-1, 88.05% had a TCD4 lymphocyte count > 500/mm<sup>3</sup> and 60.32% an undetectable plasma viral load (PVL). The incidence of hyperamylasemia in the study population was 57.64%. Hyperamylasemia was significantly more frequent in children aged 0-2 years (<i>p<0.00001</i>), in patients with a high PVL (<i>p=0.0016</i>) and in those on the protocol combining two nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors with a protease inhibitor. Several abnormalities in serum amylase activity were detected in CLHIV-1 during the course of the study. Clinical correlation and adequate follow-up of these abnormalities are essential to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with pancreatic damage in people living with HIV.