title: Vertical transmission of human immunodeficiency virus type 1: autologous neutralizing antibody, virus load, and virus phenotype.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate immunologic and virologic correlates of vertical transmission of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1).
  
  
  METHODS
  Case-control study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Women who were prospectively enrolled in a natural history study of HIV-1 infection in women and infants. Sixteen HIV-1-infected women whose infants became infected were matched by CD4+ cell percentage and use of zidovudine during pregnancy with women whose infants did not become infected.
  
  
  METHODS
  Maternal autologous neutralizing antibody, virus load determined by RNA-polymerase chain reaction (RNA-PCR), and virus phenotype.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most women in both groups had low titers of autologous neutralizing antibody, and no difference in neutralizing titers was observed (range, < 4 to 181 in both groups). The HIV-1 copy number in maternal plasma was not significantly different in the two groups but was inversely correlated with maternal CD4+ cell percentage (p < 0.005). Five women in the transmitting group and four in the non-transmitting group had syncytium-inducing (SI) phenotype virus. Two infected infants had SI phenotype virus. The SI phenotype virus was associated with a greater HIV-1 copy number in maternal plasma (p < 0.05) and an increase in the mortality rate for the infants (p < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In women matched for CD4+ cell percentage, low titers of autologous neutralizing antibody, high virus load, and SI phenotype virus were not associated with an increased risk of transmission of HIV-1 to their infants.
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
authors.forename: R N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Husson
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lan
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kojima
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Venzon
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mitsuya
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: McIntosh
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000401:mortality / Q000635:transmission*; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D005260:Female; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24 / Q000032:analysis; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D010641:Phenotype; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D015483:HIV Antibodies; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24; D012367:RNA, Viral