The role of transplacental microtransfusions of maternal lymphocytes in in utero HIV transmission
TH Lee, DM Chafets, RJ Biggar… - JAIDS Journal of …, 2010 - journals.lww.com
JAIDS Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes, 2010•journals.lww.com
Background: The mechanisms of HIV transmission from mothers to infants are poorly
understood. A possible mechanism of in utero transmission is transplacental transfer of HIV-
infected maternal leukocytes into the fetal circulation during pregnancy. Objective: To
determine if the frequency of in utero HIV infection correlates with presence or levels of
maternal cells (MCs) in placenta-derived cord blood. Methods: DNA was extracted from
dried cord blood spots (DBS) from newborns born to HIV+ mothers and corresponding …
understood. A possible mechanism of in utero transmission is transplacental transfer of HIV-
infected maternal leukocytes into the fetal circulation during pregnancy. Objective: To
determine if the frequency of in utero HIV infection correlates with presence or levels of
maternal cells (MCs) in placenta-derived cord blood. Methods: DNA was extracted from
dried cord blood spots (DBS) from newborns born to HIV+ mothers and corresponding …
Abstract
Background:
The mechanisms of HIV transmission from mothers to infants are poorly understood. A possible mechanism of in utero transmission is transplacental transfer of HIV-infected maternal leukocytes into the fetal circulation during pregnancy.
Objective:
To determine if the frequency of in utero HIV infection correlates with presence or levels of maternal cells (MCs) in placenta-derived cord blood.
Methods:
DNA was extracted from dried cord blood spots (DBS) from newborns born to HIV+ mothers and corresponding maternal DBS specimens. Paired mother-infant samples were probed to identify unique maternal sequences targeted by 24 allele-specific real-time polymerase chain reaction assays. Infant DBS-derived DNA was then probed in replicate analyses for noninherited maternal allelic sequences. Rates of detection and levels of MCs in DBS samples of HIV (+) and HIV (−) newborns were compared.
Results:
Of 114 mother-infant pairs with informative alleles, 38 newborns were HIV (+) and 76 HIV (−), based on detection of HIV DNA/RNA at birth. MC were detected in 23 of 38 HIV (+) newborns (60.5%) and in 47 of 76 HIV (−) newborns (61.8%). The mean and median concentrations of nucleated MCs in DBS for the HIV (+)/MC (+) newborns (n= 23) were 0.33% and 0.27%, respectively, compared with 0.09% and 0.10% for the HIV (−)/MC (+) newborns (n= 47)(2-sample T test for means: P= 0.78).
Conclusions:
There was no significant difference in rates of detection or concentrations of MC in DBS between HIV (+) and HIV (−) newborns. Therefore, we could not demonstrate a correlation between MC in DBS, assumed to reflect levels of in utero maternal-fetal cell trafficking, and the risk of in utero HIV transmission.
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins