title: Leukocyte telomere length in HIV-infected pregnant women treated with antiretroviral drugs during pregnancy and their uninfected infants.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  HIV disease can lead to accelerated telomere attrition, although certain drugs used as part of antiretroviral therapy (ART) can inhibit telomerase reverse transcriptase activity. This could in turn lead to shorter telomeres. We hypothesized that HIV and ART exposure would be associated with shorter leukocyte telomere length (TL) in exposed mother/infant pairs compared with controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  In these retrospective and prospective observational cohort studies, TL was evaluated in peripheral blood leukocytes obtained from HIV-infected pregnant women treated with ART and their uninfected infants, and compared with HIV untreated (retrospective cohort) or HIV mothers and their infants (prospective cohort).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In HIV-infected ART-exposed mothers, leukocyte TL was not significantly shorter than that in HIV untreated mothers or HIV controls, nor was their infants' TL significantly different. Cord blood of ART-exposed infants exhibited TL shorter than that from infants born to HIV-negative mothers. Placenta also showed evidence of shorter TL after adjustment for relevant covariates. Factors associated with shorter maternal and infant TL included smoking and the use of drugs of addiction in pregnancy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that maternal HIV infection or exposure to ART has minimal effect on infant leukocyte TL, a reassuring finding. In contrast, tissues that express higher telomerase activity such as umbilical cord blood and placenta appear comparatively more affected by ART. Smoking and the use of drugs of addiction have a negative impact on maternal and infant leukocyte TL, possibly through oxidative telomere damage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
authors.forename: Tuhina
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Imam
authors.forename: Marissa H J
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Jitratkosol
authors.forename: Hugo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Soudeyns
authors.forename: Beheroze
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sattha
authors.forename: Izabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gadawski
authors.forename: Evelyn
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Maan
authors.forename: John C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Forbes
authors.forename: Ariane
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alimenti
authors.forename: Normand
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lapointe
authors.forename: Valerie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Lamarre
authors.forename: Deborah M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Money
authors.forename: Hélène C F
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Côté
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D019098:Telomerase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D016615:Telomere / Q000187:drug effects*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents; D019098:Telomerase