title: Lack of evidence of vertical transmission of human immunodeficiency virus type 2 in a sample of the general population in Bissau.
abstract: Twenty-nine human immunodeficiency virus type 2 (HIV-2) seropositive women identified in a cross-sectional study in Bissau in 1987 participated in a follow-up study in 1988, where each was matched for age and marital status with two HIV-2 seronegative women. Detailed information about all pregnancies was obtained. The HIV-2 seropositive women and their controls had similar mean numbers of pregnancies, live children, children who died, and abortions. The HIV-2 seropositive women did not have a greater risk of having had an abortion or a child who died than did the HIV-2 seronegative women. No difference in survival was seen between children born to HIV-2 seropositive and HIV-2 seronegative women. The H/S-ratios and CD4 numbers were lower in the seropositive group, but none had values lower than 0.4 and 0.4 x 10(9)/L, respectively. Seven prospectively observed children born to HIV-2 seropositive mothers showed no sign of infection. The lack of evidence of transmission of HIV-2 from mother to child is suggested to be due to the absence of marked immunodeficiency in this random sample of the general population.
authors.affiliation: HIV-lab/Dpt. of Virology, Statens Seruminstitut, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Poulsen
authors.forename: B B
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Kvinesdal
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Aaby
authors.forename: I M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Lisse
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gottschau
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mølbak
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dias
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lauritzen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006169:Guinea-Bissau / Q000453:epidemiology; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission*; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015498:HIV-2 / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007226:Infant Mortality; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011446:Prospective Studies