Veterinary field test as screening tool for mastitis and HIV-1 viral load in breastmilk from HIV-infected Zambian women.
Clinical and subclinical mastitis increase the risk of mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV-1 through breastfeeding. We hypothesized that a field test for mastitis used for bovine milk, the California Mastitis Test, would detect high cell counts in milk of HIV-infected women. We also investigated whether total milk cell count would positively correlate with viral HIV-1 RNA in the milk of 128 HIV-positive Zambian women. Mean cell counts in each California Mastitis Test scoring category were significantly different (p < 0.01, n = 232). In a subset of 4-month postpartum milk samples tested for HIV-1 RNA, viral RNA levels did not significantly correlate with total cell count (r = 0.166, p = .244). The CMT may serve as a screening tool for mastitis in breastmilk, but total cell count does not correlate with HIV-1 RNA levels. Since both cell-free and cell-associated virus are associated with increased risk of MTCT, investigation of the relationship between total milk cell count and HIV-1 proviral DNA is warranted before a conclusive determination is made regarding use of the CMT as a clinical screening tool to detect cases at high risk for breastmilk transmission.
Dorosko
Stephanie M
SM
Thea
Donald M
DM
Saperstein
George
G
Russell
Robert M
RM
Paape
Max J
MJ
Hinckley
Lynn S
LS
Decker
William D
WD
Semrau
Katherine
K
Sinkala
Moses
M
Kasonde
Prisca
P
Kankasa
Chipepo
C
Aldrovandi
Grace M
GM
Hamer
Davidson H
DH
D000328:Adult; D001942:Breast Feeding; D002452:Cell Count; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000635:transmission*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical / Q000517:prevention & control; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D008413:Mastitis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000166:cytology* / Q000821:virology*; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D019562:Viral Load; D015024:Zambia
D012367:RNA, Viral