       Document 0231
 DOCN  M9630231
 TI    HIV infection in women: immunological markers and the influence of
       pregnancy.
 DT    9603
 AU    Brettle RP; Raab GM; Ross A; Fielding KL; Gore SM; Bird AG; Regional
       Infectious Disease Unit, City Hospital, Scotland, UK.
 SO    AIDS. 1995 Oct;9(10):1177-84. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/96098135
 AB    OBJECTIVE: To describe the influence of pregnancy on immunological
       marker paths and progression of HIV-infected women. DESIGN: Analysis of
       prospectively collected immunological and clinical data collected on 145
       women reviewed at the City Hospital, Edinburgh, between 1985 and 1992
       using a two-level random-effects model that allows for within- and
       between-patient variance. RESULTS: There were differences between the
       marker paths of women according to risk activity; women who had acquired
       HIV via injecting drug use (in addition to heterosexual intercourse) had
       a higher level of absolute CD4 cells, CD4% and total lymphocytes at
       seroconversion than those who had acquired HIV via heterosexual
       intercourse alone; however, immunological markers declined more steeply
       after seroconversion. There was no evidence that pregnancy, either
       before or after HIV seroconversion had an adverse effect on marker paths
       of HIV disease. There was a significant association between pregnancy
       after HIV seroconversion and post-pregnancy changes in immunological
       markers: an increase in the CD4% and a decrease in CD8%. However,
       causality cannot be implied as pregnancy itself may be associated with
       considerable lifestyle changes. During pregnancy the total white blood
       count rose due to an increase in the number of granulocytes, whereas the
       total lymphocyte numbers fell. The absolute CD4 lymphocyte subset counts
       fell progressively but the effect was due to the fall in the total
       lymphocyte counts, there being no influence of pregnancy on either CD4%
       or CD8%. CONCLUSIONS: In asymptomatic HIV infection, changes in the
       absolute levels of CD4 and CD8 lymphocyte counts are primarily related
       to changes in the other components of the white cell count because there
       were no changes in CD4% and CD8%. Pregnancy itself has no adverse effect
       on immunological markers of HIV.
 DE    Adult  Biological Markers  CD4 Lymphocyte Count  Disease Progression
       Female  Human  HIV Seropositivity/*IMMUNOLOGY/TRANSMISSION  Lymphocyte
       Count  Pregnancy  Pregnancy Complications, Infectious/*IMMUNOLOGY
       Prospective Studies  Substance Abuse, Intravenous  Support, Non-U.S.
       Gov't  JOURNAL ARTICLE

       SOURCE: National Library of Medicine.  NOTICE: This material may be
       protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.Code).

