title: GB virus type C coinfection in HIV-infected African mothers and their infants, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa.
abstract: GB virus type C (GBV-C) infection was studied in a convenience sample of 75 antiretroviral (ART)-naive African mothers with human immunodeficiency virus infection and their infants. GBV-C RNA was extracted from serum and amplified by reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. Twenty-seven (36%) of these 75 HIV-infected women tested positive for GBV-C RNA. To study transmission dynamics, we chose a random subsample of 20 of these women and their infants. In this cohort, there was evidence of postnatal transmission of GBV-C; however, it was not possible to demonstrate evidence of in utero or intrapartum transmission. In this pilot observational study, transmission of HIV from mother-to-infant occurs independently of the GBV-C infection status of the mother. The immunological indices measured tend to suggest an association with protection and or delayed progression of HIV disease in GBV-C-infected mothers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Natal, Congella, Durban, South Africa. sathar@nu.ac.za
authors.forename: Mahomed A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Sathar
authors.forename: Denis F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: York
authors.forename: Eleanor
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gouws
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Coutsoudis
authors.forename: Hoosen M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Coovadia
mesh_terms: D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D018178:Flaviviridae Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D029407:GB virus C / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D009035:Mothers; D011247:Pregnancy; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D013019:South Africa / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral