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Subtype C Is associated with increased vaginal shedding of HIV-1.

John-Stewart GC, Nduati RW, Rousseau CM, Mbori-Ngacha DA, Richardson BA, Rainwater S, Panteleeff DD, Overbaugh J

Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, 98104, USA. gjohn@u.washington.edu

The prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1-infected cells and HIV-1 RNA levels in genital secretions and breast milk and the risk of mother-to-child transmission of HIV-1 were compared among subtypes A, C, and D in a Kenyan cohort. Pregnant women infected with subtype C were significantly more likely to shed HIV-1-infected vaginal cells than were those infected with subtype A or D (odds ratio [OR], 3.6 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 1.4-8.8]; P = .006). This relationship held after adjusting for age, CD4 cell count, and plasma HIV-1 RNA load (OR, 3.1 [95% CI, 1.1-8.6]; P = .03). These observations suggest that HIV-1 subtype influences mucosal shedding of HIV-1.

Published 4 July 2005 in J Infect Dis, 192(3): 492-6.
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