title: The magnitude and kinetics of the mucosal HIV-specific CD8+ T lymphocyte response and virus RNA load in breast milk.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The risk of postnatal HIV transmission is associated with the magnitude of the milk virus load. While HIV-specific cellular immune responses control systemic virus load and are detectable in milk, the contribution of these responses to the control of virus load in milk is unknown.
  
  
  METHODS
  We assessed the magnitude of the immunodominant GagRY11 and subdominant EnvKY9-specific CD8+ T lymphocyte response in blood and milk of 10 A*3002+, HIV-infected Malawian women throughout the period of lactation and correlated this response to milk virus RNA load and markers of breast inflammation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The magnitude and kinetics of the HIV-specific CD8+ T lymphocyte responses were discordant in blood and milk of the right and left breast, indicating independent regulation of these responses in each breast. However, there was no correlation between the magnitude of the HIV-specific CD8+ T lymphocyte response and the milk virus RNA load. Further, there was no correlation between the magnitude of this response and markers of breast inflammation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The magnitude of the HIV-specific CD8+ T lymphocyte response in milk does not appear to be solely determined by the milk virus RNA load and is likely only one of the factors contributing to maintenance of low virus load in milk.
authors: Division of Viral Pathogenesis, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.
authors: Tatenda
authors: T
authors: Mahlokozera
authors: Helen H
authors: HH
authors: Kang
authors: Nilu
authors: N
authors: Goonetilleke
authors: Andrea R
authors: AR
authors: Stacey
authors: Rachel V
authors: RV
authors: Lovingood
authors: Thomas N
authors: TN
authors: Denny
authors: Linda
authors: L
authors: Kalilani
authors: James E G
authors: JE
authors: Bunn
authors: Steve R
authors: SR
authors: Meshnick
authors: Persephone
authors: P
authors: Borrow
authors: Norman L
authors: NL
authors: Letvin
authors: Sallie R
authors: SR
authors: Permar
mesh_terms: D001940:Breast / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D005260:Female; D006678:HIV / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D007774:Lactation; D008295:Malawi; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D009092:Mucous Membrane / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D037182:T-Cell Antigen Receptor Specificity / Q000276:immunology; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral