Placental inflammation and perinatal transmission of HIV-1

The effect of placental membrane inflammation oil mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV-1 is reported. Placentas from HIV-1-infected women were examined as part of a perinatal HIV-1 project in Mombasa, Kenya. Polymerase chain reaction analysis was used to test for HIV-1 in the infants at birth and at 6 weeks. The maternal HIV-1 seroprevalence as 13.3% (298 of 2.235). The overall rate of MTCT of HIV-1 was 25.4%: polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed that of the 201 infants 6.0% (12) were already, HIV-1-positive at birth (intrauterine transmission) and 19.4% (39) were infected during the peripartum period or in early neonatal life (perinatal transmission). The prevalence of acute chorioamnionitis was 8.8%, that of deciduitis vas 10.8%, and that of villitis vas 1.6%. Acute chorioamnionitis was independently associated with peripartum HIV-1 transmission but not with in utero MTCT (17.9% vs. 6.7%, respectively: adjusted odds ratio, 3.9: 95% confidence interval. 1.2-12.5: p = .025). Other correlates of perinatal MTCT were presence of HIV in the genital tract and in the baby's oral cavity and a high maternal viral load in peripheral blood. The adjusted population attributable fraction of 12.8% (95% confidence interval, 1.5%-22.8%) indicated that approximately 3% of MTCT could be prevented if acute chorioamnionitis A as eliminated, We suggest that further research oil the role of antimicrobial treatment in the prevention of chorioamnionitis and the reduction of peripartum MTCT needs to be performed.