TITLE:
HIV-1 Viral Load and CD4 Assessment in HIV-1 Infected Pregnant Women Supported as Part of PMTCT in N’Djamena, Chad
AUTHORS:
Adoum Fouda Abderrazzack, Mounerou Salou, Yaovi Ameyapoh, Mahamat Nour Aguid, Bertin Tchombou Hig-Zounet, Adawaye Chatte, Abdelsalam Tidjani
KEYWORDS:
Pregnant Woman, Child, HIV, ART, LTCD4, Viral Load, PCR
JOURNAL NAME:
World Journal of AIDS,
Vol.5 No.3,
September
25,
2015
ABSTRACT: In Sub-Saharan Africa, HIV affects lots of
women of childbearing age; without prevention they can transmit the virus to
their child. A cross-sectional study was conducted in the center of Psycho
Medico-Social Support (APMS) in N’Djamena, Chad from January 2014 to March
2015. Our sampling concerned HIV-1 infected pregnant women followed up for
PMTCT and their newborn. CD4+ lymphocytes and HIV-1 viral load were tested
respectively with PIMATM and Abbott m2000 Real Time in mothers. Early infant
diagnosis of HIV-1 was done in Children using PCR tool (Abbott m2000 Real
Time). Pregnant women included in the study had a median age of 25 years (IQR,
22 - 30 years). Most of them (75.6%) (34/45), were under combination ART (TDF +
3TC or FTC + EFV). The median duration on ART was 4 month (IQR [3 - 5 months]).
Nevirapine syrup was administrated to newborns as prophylaxis at least for
the first six weeks of life until EID was done. At ART initiation, mothers’
LTCD4+ median was 249 cells/mm3 (IQR: 95 - 674 cells/mm3). After a median
duration of 4 months on ART, LTCD4+ median was 530 cells/mm3 (IQR [263 - 1220
cells/mm3]). Viral load assessment in mothers showed that 15.5% (7/45) were
undetectable, 75.6% (34/45) were detectable with a VL 3log copies/ ml). Four (11.4%) of 35
children included were tested positive at EID for HIV-1. Antiretroviral treatment
management in pregnant women can improve their health and reduce the risk of
MTCT. Availability of virologic monitoring in routine is essential for pregnant
women in resources limited setting for preventing HIV transmission to their
new-born and keep them alive.