Transmission of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) from mother to child correlates with viral phenotype.
The aim of this study was to investigate if the risk of mother-to-child transmission of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is influenced by the biological phenotype of the mother's virus. Virus isolates from 30 HIV-1 infected mothers and 12 infected children born to these mothers were analyzed for replication on several cell lines (Jurkat-tat, Jurkat, CEM, U937 clone 2, and MT-2). We show that mothers who harbor virus able to replicate in cell lines (rapid/high virus) have a significantly higher risk to infect their children than mothers with slow/low virus (P = 0.017). Children born to mothers with rapid/high viruses can be infected by slow/low as well as rapid/high viruses, while mothers with slow/low virus appear to transmit slow/low virus in every case. Our study shows that the biological phenotype of the mother's virus may serve as a complementary marker to CD4+ lymphocyte counts and p24 antigenemia in predicting the risk of transmission of HIV-1 to the child.
Scarlatti
G
G
Department of Virology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
Hodara
V
V
Rossi
P
P
Muggiasca
L
L
Bucceri
A
A
Albert
J
J
Fenyö
E M
EM
D002460:Cell Line; D005260:Female; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24 / Q000097:blood; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000635:transmission*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D009000:Monocytes / Q000382:microbiology; D010641:Phenotype; D011247:Pregnancy; D012307:Risk Factors; D013045:Species Specificity; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000382:microbiology; D013997:Time Factors; D014776:Virus Cultivation; D014779:Virus Replication
D016655:HIV Core Protein p24