title: Variation in breastmilk HIV-1 viral load in left and right breasts during the first 3 months of lactation.
abstract: The mechanism and risk factors associated with mother-to-child transmission of HIV-1 through breastfeeding remain unclear; breastmilk viral load may be an important determinant of transmission. Analysis of breastmilk cell-free viral load in samples taken from each breast at 1, 6 and 14 weeks postpartum showed that HIV-1 is shed intermittently and load may differ considerably between breasts of an individual woman at any given time. Breastmilk HIV-1 load was undetectable in approximately one-third of samples.
authors.affiliation: Centre for International Child Health, London, UK.
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Willumsen
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Newell
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Filteau
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Coutsoudis
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dwarika
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: York
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Tomkins
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Coovadia
mesh_terms: D001940:Breast / Q000502:physiology; D001942:Breast Feeding; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D007774:Lactation; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000821:virology*; D019562:Viral Load