Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 RNA in Breast-Milk Components

• Published in: The Journal of infectious diseases 2003-10, Vol.188 (8), p.1209-1212
• Main Authors: Hoffman, Irving F., Martinson, Francis E. A., Stewart, Paul W., Chilongozi, David A., Leu, Szu-Yun, Kazembe, Peter N., Banda, Topia, Dzinyemba, Willard, Joshi, Priya, Cohen, Myron S., Fiscus, Susan A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Blood; Blood cells; Breast milk; Breasts; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; HIV; HIV 1; HIV Infections - transmission; HIV Infections - virology; HIV-1 - genetics; HIV-1 - isolation & purification; HIV-1 - physiology; HIV/AIDS; Human viral diseases; Humans; Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical - prevention & control; Infectious diseases; Inflammation; Lactation; Mastitis - virology; Medical sciences; Microbiology; Milk, Human - chemistry; Milk, Human - cytology; Milk, Human - virology; Miscellaneous; Pilot Projects; RNA; RNA, Viral - analysis; Sensitivity and Specificity; Viral diseases; Viral diseases of the lymphoid tissue and the blood. Aids; Viral Load; Virology; Viruses; Women
• ISSN: 0022-1899; 1537-6613
• DOI: 10.1086/378414

We conducted the present study to determine which of the 4 components of breast milk (whole milk, skim milk, lipid layer, and breast-milk cells) had the highest sensitivity and concentration of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1 RNA burden and to determine biological correlates to these factors. The probability of detection of HIV (sensitivity) and the concentration of HIV-1 RNA were both associated with the choice of milk component, CD4+ cell count, concentration of blood serum HIV-1 RNA, and the presence of breast inflammation. Whole milk demonstrated higher sensitivity and mean concentration than any other single component. Sensitivity was enhanced by analyzing all 4 components of breast milk