title: Cell-free human immunodeficiency virus type 1 in breast milk.
abstract: Breast-feeding may be an important route of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) vertical transmission in settings where it is routinely practiced. To define the prevalence and quantity of HIV-1 in cell-free breast milk, samples from HIV-1-seropositive women were analyzed by quantitative competitive reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (QC-RT-PCR). HIV-1 RNA was detected in 29 (39%) of 75 specimens tested. Of these 29 specimens, 16 (55%) had levels that were near the detection limit of the assay (240 copies/mL), while 6 (21%) had >900 copies/mL. The maximum concentration of HIV-1 RNA detected was 8100 copies/mL. The prevalence of cell-free HIV-1 was higher in mature milk (47%) than in colostrum (27%, P = 0.1). Because mature milk is consumed in large quantities, these data suggest that cell-free HIV-1 in breast milk may contribute to vertical transmission of HIV-1.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, USA.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nduati
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Kreiss
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: John
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Richardson
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mbori-Ngacha
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ndinya-Achola
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Overbaugh
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D016516:CD4-CD8 Ratio; D003126:Colostrum / Q000821:virology; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology*; D006679:HIV Seropositivity; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000821:virology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D015995:Prevalence; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D012367:RNA, Viral