Lack of Mother-to-child HIV-1 Transmission is Associated with Elevated Serum Levels of 90 K Immune Modulatory Protein

Background: 90 K is a secreted human serum glycoprotein with immune modulatory activity.

Methods: Serum 90 K levels were determined by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 19 HIV-1-infected mothers at the time of delivery, in their new-borns (11 HIV-1 infected and eight uninfected), in 26 HIV-1-uninfected mothers and in 86 new-borns of HIV-1-uninfected mothers.

Results: 90 K levels in HIV-1-infected transmissive mothers (22.4 +/- 13.9 microg/ml) were similar to those of HIV-1-uninfected mothers (21.1 +/- 7.6 microg/ml; P = 0.715), but lower than those of HIV-1-infected non-transmissive mothers (45.5 +/- 24.8 microg/ml; P = 0.019). The levels were higher in HIV-1-uninfected (47.6 +/- 22.4 mg/ml) than HIV-1-infected (23.7 +/- 15.6 microg/ml; P = 0.014) new-borns of HIV-1-infected mothers. The new-borns of HIV-1-uninfected mothers had lower levels (11.7 +/- 5.3 microg/ml) than both HIV-1-infected and HIV-1-uninfected new-borns of HIV-1-infected mothers (all differences, P < 0.001).

Conclusion: These results suggest that high 90 K protein serum levels in HIV-1-infected mothers and their new-borns are associated with lack of mother-to-child HIV-1 transmission.