title: Prospective cohort study of the effect of pregnancy on the progression of human immunodeficiency virus infection. The Groupe d'Epidémiologie Clinique Du SIDA en Aquitaine.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the prognostic role of pregnancy on the progression of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a prospective cohort study at the Bordeaux University Hospital, France, 57 women who completed a pregnancy during the course of their HIV infection were compared with 114 HIV-infected women who never conceived. The two groups were matched on CD4 lymphocyte count (CD4), age, and year of HIV diagnosis. The main outcome measures were death, occurrence of a first AIDS-defining event, and drop of the CD4 below 200/mm3.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean follow-up period in pregnant women was 61 months from HIV diagnosis (median CD4 at entry 455/mm3) and 54 months from beginning of pregnancy. Nonpregnant women were followed-up for 50 months since HIV diagnosis (median CD4 460/mm3). The proportion of asymptomatic women at entry in the study was 51 of 57 (90%) in pregnant and 87 of 114 (76%) in nonpregnant women. No significant difference was observed between the two groups with regard to the different end points studied, even after adjustment for other prognostic variables. Adjusted hazard ratios (pregnant/nonpregnant) were 0.92 for death (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.40-2.12), 1.02 for occurrence of a first AIDS-defining event (95% CI 0.48-2.18), and 1.20 for drop of the CD4 to less than 200/mm3 (95% CI 0.63-2.27).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In a cohort of HIV-infected women with mild to moderate immunosuppression, pregnancy did not accelerate progression to AIDS or death.
authors.affiliation: Service de Gynécologie-Obstétrique, Hôpital Pellegrin, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Bordeaux, France.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hocke
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Morlat
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chene
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dequae
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dabis
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000276:immunology / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000276:immunology / Q000401:mortality; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate