Pattern of HIV Viraemia and CD4 Levels in Relation to Pregnancy in HIV-1 Infected Women

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Abstract
The objective was to study HIV-1 viraemia and CD4 levels during and 6 months after pregnancy. HIV cultures on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and plasma from 225 samples were performed in 90 HIV-1 infected women with 59 continued and 35 terminated pregnancies. P-24 antigen and HIV-DNA were also studied. 34 women originated from European, 44 from African and 10 from other countries while 2 were of unknown origin. HIV was detected in 30% of the plasma cultures from the first trimester and in approximately 50% thereafter. Repeated plasma isolations did not give an indication of HIV activation, nor did the cross-sectional time-to-culture positivity in plasma and in PBMC, PBMC isolation frequencies, HIV-DNA and CD4 levels. The plasma viraemia frequencies were generally higher and the CD4 levels lower in the African women than in the European ones. Six months after delivery there was a significant decrease in the CD4 cell counts compared to delivery, but not when compared to the values during the first or second trimesters. The results showed that HIV activity during pregnancy was relatively stable, followed by indications of resumed activity during the first 6 months after delivery.