UCLA

Background

HIV-infected (HIV-pos) male children/youth showed lower bone mineral density at sexual maturity than HIV-uninfected (HIV-neg) females. It is not known whether complications of HIV disease, including abnormal body fat distribution, contribute to lower bone accrual in male HIV-pos adolescents.

Methods

In a cross-sectional study, we evaluated the relationship between body composition (fat and lean mass) and bone mass in HIV-pos and HIV-neg children/youth and determined if it is modified by HIV status and sex. We used generalized estimating equations to simultaneously model the effect of fat/lean mass on multiple bone outcomes, including total body bone mineral density and bone mineral content and spine bone mineral density. We evaluated effect modification by HIV and sex.

Results

The analysis cohort consisted of 143 HIV-neg and 236 HIV-pos, of whom 55% were black non-Hispanic and 53% were male. Ages ranged from 7 to < 25 years. Half of the children/youth were at Tanner stage 1 and 20% at Tanner 5. Fat mass was more strongly positively correlated with bone mass in HIV-neg than HIV-pos children/youth and these relationships were more evident for total body bone than spine outcomes. Within HIV strata, fat mass and bone were more correlated in female than male children/youth. The relationship between lean mass and bone varied by sex, but not by HIV status.

Conclusions

HIV disease diminishes the positive relationship of greater fat mass on bone mass in children/youth. Disruptions in body fat distribution, which are common in HIV disease, may have an impact on bone accretion during pubertal development.