Low Pretreatment Viral Loads in Infants With HIV in an Era of High-maternal Antiretroviral Therapy Coverage.

ABSTRACT:

Background

With expansion of antiretroviral therapy (ART) programs, transmission rates are low but new infant infections still occur. We investigated predictors of pre-ART viral load (VL) and CD4+ T-cell counts and percentages in infants diagnosed with HIV at birth in a setting with high coverage of maternal ART and infant prophylaxis.

Methods

As part of an early treatment study, 97 infants with confirmed HIV-infection were identified at a hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa. Infant VL and CD4+ T-cell parameters were measured before ART initiation. Data were collected on maternal characteristics, including VL, CD4+ T-cell counts and ART, and infant characteristics, including sex, birth weight, and mode of delivery.

Results

Pre-ART, median infant VL was 28,405 copie

SUBMITTER: Patel F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7722046 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature