title: Phytohemagglutinin-inducible p24 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells as a predictor of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 vertical transmission and infant clinical status.
abstract: We sought to determine whether the detectability of phytohemagglutinin-inducible p24 (PHA-p24) in short term cultures of peripheral blood mononuclear cells correlates with an increased risk of vertical transmission among human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-infected pregnant women and more severe symptomatology among HIV-1-infected infants. The assay for PHA-p24 was performed on specimens obtained from HIV-1-infected women during their pregnancy and from infants during the first 6 months of life. Infants were followed prospectively to determine HIV-1 infection outcome and symptomatology. Among PHA-p24 positive women 9 of 19 (47.4%) gave birth to HIV-1-infected infants compared with 4 of 25 (16.0%) of PHA-p24-negative women (P = 0.02). Among women who tested PHA-p24-positive and had a CD4+ lymphocyte count < 500 cells/mm3, 8 of 15 (53.3%) gave birth to HIV-1-infected infants compared with 4 of 26 (15.4%) not meeting these conditions (P = 0.01). Among HIV-1-infected infants 4 of 5 (80%) of those testing PHA-p24-positive by one month of age developed an opportunistic infection or encephalopathy by 12 months of age, compared with none of the 11 infants testing PHA-p24-negative (P = 0.003). We conclude that PHA-p24 may be a useful in vitro measure for increased risk of vertical transmission among HIV-1-infected pregnant women and increased risk for rapid development of severe disease among HIV-1-infected infants.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore 21201.
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Farley
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bauer
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Cole
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood*; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000097:blood* / Q000151:congenital / Q000635:transmission; D015497:HIV-1; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000378:metabolism; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins / Q000494:pharmacology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D016655:HIV Core Protein p24; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins; C028784:phytohemagglutinin-P