title: Patterns and predictors of CD4 T-cell counts among children born to HIV-infected women in Tanzania.
abstract: We assessed age-specific CD4 T-cell counts and their determinants among Tanzanian children born to HIV-infected mothers to address a major research gap. A total of 474 HIV-uninfected and 69 HIV-infected children were followed until age of 12 months. Maternal predictors were measured during pregnancy and child predictors at birth and throughout the follow up. Child CD4 T-cell counts were evaluated at the age of 3 months and subsequent 3-month intervals; they decreased linearly among HIV-infected (beta = -8 cells per week; 95% CI -12 to -4; P = 0.0003) and increased linearly among HIV-uninfected children (beta = 4 cells/week; 95% CI 2-7; P = 0.0008). Decreased child counts were predicted by low child anthropometry, maternal HIV stage > or =2, and maternal mid-upper arm circumference <27 cm among HIV-infected children; and by weight-for-height <-2 z-score, maternal HIV stage > or =2, maternal erythrocyte sedimentation rate <81 mm/h and maternal haemoglobin <8.5 g/dl among HIV-uninfected children. The maternal and child predictors described may serve as intervention targets among HIV-exposed children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA. rkupka@post.harvard.edu
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kupka
authors.forename: Gernard I
authors.initials: GI
authors.lastname: Msamanga
authors.forename: Said
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aboud
authors.forename: Karim P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Manji
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Duggan
authors.forename: Wafaie W
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Fawzi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000635:transmission; D015497:HIV-1; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013636:Tanzania / Q000453:epidemiology