BACKGROUND: The immune suppression and dysregulation in HIV-infected patients predisposes them to chronic non-infectious lung conditions.

METHODS: Retrospective study of HIV-infected children (10 to 16 years) diagnosed with chronic non-infectious lung conditions at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital from 01 April 2011 to 31 March 2019. The databases at the pediatric HIV and pulmonology clinics were screened for the patients who met the inclusion criteria and files retrieved.

RESULTS: Data were analyzed for 276 participants of whom 139 (50.4%) were female. The median (inter quartile range (IQR)) age at censure was 14 years (12-15) and the absolute CD4 count was 720 cell/ml. Bronchiectasis was the most common non-infectious condition (n=172 (41%)), followed by LIP (n=146 (37%)). Seventy percent of the participants had ever received treatment for tuberculosis (n= 140 (70.7%)). A total of 21 (15.6%) children had more than one chronic non-infectious lung condition. History of ever being treated for   pulmonary tuberculosis was associated with having multiple chronic non-infectious lung conditions (p=0.014).

CONCLUSION: HIV-infected children have a very high prevalence of chronic non-infectious pulmonary disease, of which bronchiectasis and LIP are the most common. There was a high likelihood of having more than one non-infectious lung conditions in HIV-infected children with history of TB treatment.