Analysis of immunity function of infants delivered by human immunodeficiency virus infected mothers

Objective To explore the physical development and immune function of infants without human immunodeficiency virus(HIV) infection who were delivered by HIV-infected mothers. Methods Two hundred and ninety-seven infants delivered HIV-infected mothers in Guangxi province from January 2008 to November 2011 were selected as observation group.According to whether infants had HIV infection or not, the children were further divided into the HIV-infection group and the infants in the non-HIV infection group according to the presence or absence of HIV infection, and the infants in the non-HIV infection group were divided into the antiretroviral drug (ART) treatment group and the non-ART treatment group according to whether the mother had used ART during pregnancy.Ninety-one healthy children born at the same time were selected as the healthy control group.The physical examination, T lymphocyte subgroup analysis and humoral immunity test were performed on all infants. Results The weight and body length at birth of infants born from HIV-infected mothers were all significantly lower than those in the healthy control group [(2.86±0.49) kg vs.(3.15±0.52) kg; (47.05±2.20) cm vs.(50.01±2.58) cm], and the differences were statistically significant (t=2.652, 2.247, all P 0.05]; the CD3 and CD4 levels were lower than those in the healthy control group[(62.36±7.94) % vs.(65.70±6.32) %; (4.83±7.62)% vs.(37.02±5.69)%], and the differences were statistically significant(t=3.66, 2.946, all P 0.05). The weight and body length at birth of non-HIV infected children born from HIV-infected mothers were all significantly lower than those in healthy control group [(2.92±0.43) kg vs.(3.15±0.52) kg; (49.03±2.22) cm vs.(50.01±2.58) cm], and the differences were statistically significant(F=4.163, 2.87, all P 0.05]; the CD3 and CD4 levels were lower than those in the healthy control group[(62.27±7.94) % vs.(65.70±6.32)%; (35.30±6.86)% vs.(37.02±5.69)% ], and the differences were statistically significant (F=7.083, 28.06, all P<0.05). Conclusions The humoral immune function of the non-HIV infected infants delivered by HIV-infected mothers is not significantly affected, but the physical development at birth and cellular immune function are significantly affected.ART during pregnancy is not a major factor in the limitation of physical development at birth.Therefore, the nutrition support for the infants delivered by HIV-infected mothers and prevention of infection are especially necessary clinically. Key words: Acquired immune deficiency syndrome; Lymphocyte subsets; Humoral immunity; Child