Human immunodeficiency virus load in breast milk, mastitis, and mother-to-child transmission of human immunodeficiency virus type 1.
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1 load in breast milk and mastitis were examined as risk factors for vertical transmission of HIV-1. Six weeks after delivery, HIV-1 load and sodium (an indicator of mastitis) were measured in breast milk from 334 HIV-1-infected women in Malawi. Median breast milk HIV-1 load was 700 copies/mL among women with HIV-1-infected infants versus undetectable (<200 copies/mL) among those with uninfected infants, respectively (P<. 0001). Elevated breast milk sodium levels consistent with mastitis occurred in 16.4% of HIV-1-infected women and were associated with increased vertical transmission of HIV-1 (P<.0001). Median breast milk HIV-1 load was 920 copies/mL among women with versus undetectable among those without elevated breast milk sodium levels, respectively (P<.0001). Mastitis and breast milk HIV-1 load may increase the risk of vertical transmission of HIV-1 through breast-feeding.
Semba
R D
RD
Department of Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA. rdsemba@jhmi.edu
Kumwenda
N
N
Hoover
D R
DR
Taha
T E
TE
Quinn
T C
TC
Mtimavalye
L
L
Biggar
R J
RJ
Broadhead
R
R
Miotti
P G
PG
Sokoll
L J
LJ
van der Hoeven
L
L
Chiphangwi
J D
JD
D000328:Adult; D001942:Breast Feeding; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission*; D015497:HIV-1; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D008295:Malawi / Q000453:epidemiology; D008413:Mastitis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000737:chemistry / Q000821:virology*; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012964:Sodium / Q000032:analysis; D019562:Viral Load
D012964:Sodium