title: Inactivation of HIV-1 in breast milk by treatment with the alkyl sulfate microbicide sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Reducing transmission of HIV-1 through breast milk is needed to help decrease the burden of pediatric HIV/AIDS in society. We have previously reported that alkyl sulfates (i.e., sodium dodecyl sulfate, SDS) are microbicidal against HIV-1 at low concentrations, are biodegradable, have little/no toxicity and are inexpensive. Therefore, they may be used for treatment of HIV-1 infected breast milk. In this report, human milk was artificially infected by adding to it HIV-1 (cell-free or cell-associated) and treated with <or=1% SDS (<or=10 mg/ml). Microbicidal treatment was at 37 degrees C or room temperature for 10 min. SDS removal was performed with a commercially available resin. Infectivity of HIV-1 and HIV-1 load in breast milk were determined after treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  SDS (>or=0.1%) was virucidal against cell-free and cell-associated HIV-1 in breast milk. SDS could be substantially removed from breast milk, without recovery of viral infectivity. Viral load in artificially infected milk was reduced to undetectable levels after treatment with 0.1% SDS. SDS was virucidal against HIV-1 in human milk and could be removed from breast milk if necessary. Milk was not infectious after SDS removal.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The proposed treatment concentrations are within reported safe limits for ingestion of SDS by children of 1 g/kg/day. Therefore, use of alkyl sulfate microbicides, such as SDS, to treat HIV1-infected breast milk may be a novel alternative to help prevent/reduce transmission of HIV-1 through breastfeeding.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033, USA. sandra.urdaneta@drexel.edu
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Urdaneta
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wigdahl
authors.forename: Elizabeth B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Neely
authors.forename: Cheston M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Berlin
authors.forename: Cara-Lynne
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Schengrund
authors.forename: Hung-Mo
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Mary K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Howett
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000378:metabolism; D002460:Cell Line; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical / Q000517:prevention & control; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000187:drug effects / Q000821:virology*; D012967:Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013501:Surface-Active Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000821:virology
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D015704:CD4 Antigens; D013501:Surface-Active Agents; D012967:Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate