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Evaluation of Glutathione Levels in HIV Infected Children in Benin City, Nigeria.

INTRODUCTION
Glutathione is a powerful naturally occurring anti-oxidant in the human body and is important in immunological response to infection. Glutathione depletion may play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis and progression of HIV disease. This study was done to compare plasma glutathione levels between HIV infected and uninfected children, correlate their glutathione levels with their WHO immunologic and clinical stages and determine prevalence of glutathione deficiency in HIV infected and uninfected children.


METHODS
A cross-sectional study was conducted among 258 HIV infected children and their age and sex-matched controls in the two major hospitals providing paediatric HIV care in Benin City, Nigeria. Information was obtained using questionnaire. Plasma glutathione levels were determined in both groups using the spectrophotometric method involving the Dithio-bis -2-nitrobenzoic acid/Glutathione reductase enzyme (DTNB/GR) technique. Data was analyzed using paired t-test and spearman rank correlation.


RESULTS
The mean plasma glutathione level was 8.82 ± 2.39 µmol/l, and 13.11 ± 3.20 µmol/l in HIV infected and uninfected children respectively, p < 0.0001. There was no significant correlation between plasma glutathione and both WHO immunologic staging (r= 0.011, p= 0.869) and clinical staging of HIV (r=0.053, p=0.379). Glutathione deficiency was present in 10.10% of HIV infected children and 0.70% of HIV uninfected children, p = 0.0001.


CONCLUSION
Glutathione depletion occurs in children with HIV/AIDS and it has no relationship with clinical and immunologic staging of HIV in this study. Further studies are needed to ascertain the benefit of glutathione supplementation in HIV infected children.