title: Vertical transmission of human immunodeficiency virus type 1. Prognostic value of IgA antibody to HIV-1 polypeptides during pregnancy.
abstract: In a retrospective study of 31 pregnant women infected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), nine (29%) infants presented unequivocal signs of HIV-1 infection (persistent p24 antigenemia and/or positive virus isolation). All serum samples obtained from the others, during pregnancy and on delivery, were studied for specific antibody (IgA) production by immunoblotting analysis to establish a possible link between the presence of a defined antibody class and mother-to-child viral transmission. The majority (16 of 22) of HIV-1-seropositive mothers who delivered uninfected children showed IgA antibody to low-molecular-weight HIV-1 polypeptides during pregnancy. Among those who delivered infected babies, only one showed a weak IgA reactivity to HIV-1 during pregnancy. Thus, our results suggest that immunoblotting study of IgA may be a diagnostic adjunct to predict the risk of mother-to-child HIV-1 transmission.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Microbiology, University of Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Re
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Furlini
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vignoli
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ricchi
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ramazzotti
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bianchi
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Guerra
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Costigliola
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: La Placa
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000635:transmission*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000097:blood*; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000276:immunology*; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D015483:HIV Antibodies; D007070:Immunoglobulin A