The impact of protease inhibitors on maternal serum screening analyte levels in pregnant women who are HIV positive.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to compare alpha-fetoprotein, human chorionic gonadotropin, and unconjugated estriol levels in women who take protease inhibitors and those women who do not.


METHODS
This retrospective review from August 2000 to May 2003 was performed for maternal serum screen results, medication use, pregnancy, and perinatal outcomes.


RESULTS
Thirty-nine women met study criteria. Sixteen women were treated with protease inhibitors, and 23 women were not treated with protease inhibitors. There was no difference in initial viral load or initial CD4 count between the groups. No difference was found for human chorionic gonadotropin and estriol levels; significantly lower alpha-fetoprotein multiples of the median were found for the women who were treated with protease inhibitors compared with the women who were not (0.97 +/- 0.32 [SD] MoM vs 1.2 +/- 0.4 MoM, respectively; P = .04). Six of 39 women (15%) had positive maternal serum screens. All the babies were normal at birth, and there were no cases of perinatal transmission of human immunodeficiency virus.


CONCLUSIONS
Protease inhibitors are associated with lower alpha-fetoprotein levels in women who are infected with human immunodeficiency virus.
Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Women's Health, Bronx, NY 10461, USA. fheinstein@earthlink.net
Francine H
FH
Einstein
Rodney L
RL
Wright
Stephanie
S
Trentacoste
Susan
S
Gross
Irwin R
IR
Merkatz
Peter S
PS
Bernstein
D000328:Adult; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000097:blood; D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis; D004964:Estriol / Q000097:blood; D005188:False Negative Reactions; D005260:Female; D017320:HIV Protease Inhibitors / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000821:virology*; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D019562:Viral Load; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000032:analysis*
D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D017320:HIV Protease Inhibitors; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins; D004964:Estriol