Comparative Assessment of Serum Selenium Status in HIV-Infected and Non-infected Children: A Pilot Study in a Tertiary Hospital in Nigeria

Background Selenium is an essential micronutrient that plays a crucial role in a wide range of physiological processes, including immune responses. Selenium deficiency has been recognized as an associated factor in the progression of HIV to advanced HIV disease and/or mortality. Although selenium supplementation has been shown to reduce hospitalizations and improve cellular immunity, the evidence remains mixed. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of selenium deficiency and its relationship with HIV disease markers in HIV-infected children at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital. Methodology This is a cross-sectional, comparative, pilot study of plasma concentrations of selenium in HIV-infected (n = 30) and non-infected (n = 20) children enrolled in the pediatric HIV clinic of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Lagos, Nigeria, from May 2019 to May 2021. HIV-infected children were on stable antiretroviral therapy (ART) with an undetectable viral load. The serum concentration of selenium was measured using the automated atomic absorption spectrophotometer (hydride generation method). Logistic regression was used to study the effect of selenium status on the levels of HIV disease markers (CD4 count, viral load, weight, opportunistic infections) in the study participants. Results The median age of all participants was nine (4-12) years, with 74% being boys. The mean selenium concentrations were lower in HIV-infected children (91.1 ± 12.0 µg/L) compared to the comparison group without HIV (147.8 ± 4.9 µg/L) (p = 0.001). After controlling for age, ART duration, markers of HIV infection, and other potentially confounding variables, participants with selenium deficiency had approximately 11-fold odds of increased hospital admissions (adjusted odds ratio = 10.57, 95% confidence interval = 1.58 to 70.99; p = 0.015). Conclusions In this study, selenium concentrations were significantly lower in HIV-infected children than in the HIV-negative comparison group. Lower serum selenium concentrations were associated with increased hospitalizations. Although our findings suggest the potential need for selenium supplementation for children living with HIV in Nigeria, further studies are warranted to determine the safety and efficacy of selenium supplementation in this key population.