Bunders M., Pembrey L., Kuijpers T., Newell M.-L.
Emma Children's Hospital, Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam, Netherlands; MRC Centre of Epidemiology for Child Health, University College London, Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom; Africa Centre for Health and Population Studies, University of KwaZulu Natal, Somkhele, South Africa
Bunders, M., Emma Children's Hospital, Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam, Netherlands; Pembrey, L., MRC Centre of Epidemiology for Child Health, University College London, Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom; Kuijpers, T., Emma Children's Hospital, Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam, Netherlands; Newell, M.-L., MRC Centre of Epidemiology for Child Health, University College London, Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom, Africa Centre for Health and Population Studies, University of KwaZulu Natal, Somkhele, South Africa
HIV infection affects B cell function and is associated with increased immunoglobulin levels, including in HIV-infected pregnant women. It is unknown if maternal HIV infection affects immunoglobulins in their uninfected children. We investigated this using prospective longitudinal data from children born to HIV-infected women enrolled in the European Collaborative Study (ECS). Data from children enrolled in the European Paediatric Hepatitis C Virus Network (EPHN) were used as a comparison group. Associations between infant and maternal factors and child log10 total IgG, IgM, and IgA levels were quantified in linear regression analyses. A total of 1751 HIV-uninfected (ECS) and 167 HCV-uninfected children (EPHN) were included. HIV-uninfected children had significantly higher IgG, IgM, and IgA levels than HCV-uninfected children up to at least 24 months. Among HIV-exposed uninfected children, IgG levels from birth until 5 years of age were correlated with increased maternal IgG levels. ART exposure in fetal and early neonatal life was associated with lower IgG. These findings indicate alterations in immunoglobulin levels in uninfected children born to HIV-infected women, suggesting that fetal exposure to a chronically activated maternal immune system is associated with an altered humoral response. © 2010, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.
immunoglobulin A; immunoglobulin G; immunoglobulin M; immunoglobulin; adult; article; evidence based medicine; female; human; Human immunodeficiency virus infection; humoral immunity; immune system; immunoglobulin blood level; longitudinal study; major clinical study; male; newborn; pregnant woman; priority journal; prospective study; virus transmission; blood; comparative study; Human immunodeficiency virus infection; immunology; passive immunization; pregnancy; pregnancy complication; preschool child; transmission; vertical transmission; Child, Preschool; Female; HIV Infections; Humans; Immunity, Maternally-Acquired; Immunoglobulins; Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious