title: Veterinary field test as screening tool for mastitis and HIV-1 viral load in breastmilk from HIV-infected Zambian women.
abstract: 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.
authors: Stephanie M
authors: SM
authors: Dorosko
authors: Donald M
authors: DM
authors: Thea
authors: George
authors: G
authors: Saperstein
authors: Robert M
authors: RM
authors: Russell
authors: Max J
authors: MJ
authors: Paape
authors: Lynn S
authors: LS
authors: Hinckley
authors: William D
authors: WD
authors: Decker
authors: Katherine
authors: K
authors: Semrau
authors: Moses
authors: M
authors: Sinkala
authors: Prisca
authors: P
authors: Kasonde
authors: Chipepo
authors: C
authors: Kankasa
authors: Grace M
authors: GM
authors: Aldrovandi
authors: Davidson H
authors: DH
authors: Hamer
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral