title: Semen decontamination for the elimination of seminal HIV-1.
abstract: The risk of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission to the female partner, or potential offspring of an HIV-1 infected man can be reduced using semen decontamination procedures before assisted reproductive treatment (ART). The objective of this study was to determine the efficiency of decontaminating semen samples (n = 186) from 95 HIV-1 sero-positive patients. Aliquots of neat semen were submitted for viral validation by qualitative and quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Semen samples were processed by density gradient centrifugation in combination with a ProInsert™ tube after which aliquots of the processed sperm samples were analysed for the presence of HIV-1. Fifty-four percent of all tested neat semen samples tested positive for HIV-1 DNA, RNA or both (13.4%, 11.3% and 29.0%, respectively). From a total of 103 processed sperm samples that were submitted for viral validation, two samples tested positive for HIV-1 DNA and none for RNA. In conclusion, semen processing with the ProInsert™ followed by viral validation of processed sperm samples should be carried out when providing ART to couples where the male partner is HIV-1 sero-positive.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Steve Biko Academic Hospital, University of Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa. Electronic address: jozef.fourie@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Jozef Markus
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Fourie
authors.affiliation: The Bill and Berniece Grewcock Center for Conservation & Research, Omaha, NE, USA.
authors.forename: Naida
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Loskutoff
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Steve Biko Academic Hospital, University of Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa.
authors.forename: Carin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Huyser
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002499:Centrifugation, Density Gradient / Q000295:instrumentation; D015925:Cryopreservation; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D003666:Decontamination / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000378:metabolism / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D057230:Limit of Detection; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D027724:Reproductive Techniques, Assisted / Q000009:adverse effects; D012661:Semen / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology*; D012662:Semen Preservation / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D012367:RNA, Viral
keywords: HIV-1; density gradient centrifugation; semen decontamination; semen processing