Lack of mother-to-child HIV-1 transmission is associated with elevated serum levels of 90 K immune modulatory protein.
BACKGROUND
90 K is a secreted human serum glycoprotein with immune modulatory activity.


METHODS
Serum 90 K levels were determined by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 19 HIV-1-infected mothers at the time of delivery, in their new-borns (11 HIV-1 infected and eight uninfected), in 26 HIV-1-uninfected mothers and in 86 new-borns of HIV-1-uninfected mothers.


RESULTS
90 K levels in HIV-1-infected transmissive mothers (22.4 +/- 13.9 microg/ml) were similar to those of HIV-1-uninfected mothers (21.1 +/- 7.6 microg/ml; P = 0.715), but lower than those of HIV-1-infected non-transmissive mothers (45.5 +/- 24.8 microg/ml; P = 0.019). The levels were higher in HIV-1-uninfected (47.6 +/- 22.4 mg/ml) than HIV-1-infected (23.7 +/- 15.6 microg/ml; P = 0.014) new-borns of HIV-1-infected mothers. The new-borns of HIV-1-uninfected mothers had lower levels (11.7 +/- 5.3 microg/ml) than both HIV-1-infected and HIV-1-uninfected new-borns of HIV-1-infected mothers (all differences, P < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that high 90 K protein serum levels in HIV-1-infected mothers and their new-borns are associated with lack of mother-to-child HIV-1 transmission.
Pelliccia
P
P
Department of Medicine, University of Chieti, Italy.
Galli
L
L
de Martino
M
M
Chiarelli
F
F
Verrotti
A
A
Sabatino
G
G
Fornarini
B
B
Iacobelli
S
S
Natoli
C
C
D000328:Adult; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000097:blood*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000635:transmission*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins
D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D006023:Glycoproteins; C081856:LGALS3BP protein, human; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins