Cellular immune factors associated with mother-to-infant transmission of HIV.
OBJECTIVE
To study a possible correlate of protection in mother-to-infant transmission of HIV infection. In particular, to determine whether lack of HIV-specific T-helper (TH) function as indicated by HIV and non-HIV antigen-stimulated interleukin (IL)-2 production of mother and/or newborn peripheral blood leukocytes (PBL) is associated with mother-to-infant transmission of HIV.


METHODS
PBL from 21 HIV-seropositive pregnant women and 23 cord blood leukocytes (CBL) from their offspring were studied for in vitro TH function by IL-2 production in response to HIV and non-HIV antigens. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and viral culture assays were performed to determine HIV infection of the infants.


RESULTS
PBL from 10 out of 21 (48%) mothers and from  eight out of 23 (35%) CBL samples responded to two or more out of five synthetic gp 160 envelope (env) peptides. Three of the 23 (13%) offspring were shown to be HIV-infected by PCR and/or viral culture on follow-up. All three infected infants were from a subset whose CBL did not exhibit env-specific TH immunity.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results demonstrate that fetal T cells can be primed to HIV env determinants in utero, suggest that HIV-specific TH immunity may be protective in newborns, and provide a possible means for identifying newborns who are at risk for HIV infection.
Clerici
M
M
Experimental Immunology Branch, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892.
Sison
A V
AV
Berzofsky
J A
JA
Rakusan
T A
TA
Brandt
C D
CD
Ellaurie
M
M
Villa
M
M
Colie
C
C
Venzon
D J
DJ
Sever
J L
JL
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood; D015686:Gene Products, env / Q000276:immunology; D006678:HIV / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015488:HIV Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000635:transmission*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000276:immunology*; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology*
D015686:Gene Products, env; D015488:HIV Antigens; D007376:Interleukin-2