Document Type

Article

Publication Date

8-28-2012

Publication Title

PloS One

Department

Geisel School of Medicine

Abstract

Transmission of HIV-1 during breastfeeding is a significant source of new pediatric infections in sub-Saharan Africa. Breast milk from HIV-positive mothers contains both cell-free and cell-associated virus; however, the impact of breast milk on HIV-1 infectivity remains poorly understood. In the present study, breast milk was collected from HIV-positive and HIV-negative Tanzanian women attending antenatal clinics in Dar es Salaam. Milk was analyzed for activity in vitro against both cell-free and cell-associated HIV-1. Potent inhibition of cell-free R5 and X4 HIV-1 occurred in the presence of milk from all donors regardless of HIV-1 serostatus. Inhibition of cell-free HIV-1 infection positively correlated with milk levels of sialyl-LewisXfrom HIV-positive donors. In contrast, milk from 8 of 16 subjects enhanced infection with cell-associated HIV-1 regardless of donor serostatus. Milk from two of these subjects contained high levels of multiple pro-inflammatory cytokines including TNFa, IL-1b, IL-6, IL-8, MIP-1a, MIP-1b, MCP-1 and IP-10, and enhanced cell-associated HIV-1 infection at dilutions as high as 1:500. These findings indicate that breast milk contains innate factors with divergent activity against cell-free and cell- associated HIV-1 in vitro. Enhancement of cell-associated HIV-1 infection by breast milk may be associated with inflammatory conditions in the mother and may contribute to infant infection during breastfeeding.

DOI

10.1371/journal.pone.0043815

Original Citation

Lyimo MA, Mosi MN, Housman ML, Zain-Ul-Abideen M, Lee FV, Howell AL, Connor RI. Breast milk from Tanzanian women has divergent effects on cell-free and cell-associated HIV-1 infection in vitro. PLoS One. 2012;7(8):e43815. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0043815. Epub 2012 Aug 28. PMID: 22952771; PMCID: PMC3429502.

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