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Objectives: Genital herpes simplex virus-2 (HSV-2) shedding in pregnant women in association with neonatal herpes infection has been widely studied but there is limited evidence of its association with pregnancy outcomes., Methods: In t his retrospective observational study, we included a subgroup of pregnant women who were enrolled in a randomized control behavioural intervention study that was conducted in South Africa in 2008-2010. In pregnancy, women had a HIV rapid test done and a genital swab taken to test for curable STIs and HSV-2 DNA. Subsequent visits were scheduled for 6, 10, 14 weeks and 9 months post-delivery. Pregnancy outcomes were documented at the 6-week or 10-week postpartum visit. Women were treated syndromically for curable STIs., Results: Among 615 women included in this data analysis, 36.6% (n=225) tested HIV positive and 8.3% (n=51) tested positive for genital HSV-2 shedding during pregnancy. Women <24 years and HIV-1 seropositive women were 1.5 and 2.5 times more likely to test positive for HSV-2 genital shedding respectively. STI treatment records were available for 158/205 (77.1%) women; all 87 women with symptomatic STIs were treated the same day, and 50/71 (70.4%) asymptomatic women received treatment at the subsequent visit. Remaining 21 (29.6%) asymptomatic women did not receive treatment because they failed to return for antenatal follow-up. In a multivariable regression analysis, genital HSV-2 shedding, HIV-1, Neisseria gonorrhoea , Chlamydia trachomatis and Trichomanas vaginalis were not associated with preterm deliveries, still births and low birth weight. However with stratification by treatment for a STI, asymptomatic women who were not treated were 3.3 times more likely to deliver prematurely (33.3%; n=6/18) when compared to women who were treated during pregnancy (13.2%; n=15/114) (p=0.042)., Conclusions: Genital HSV-2 shedding in pregnancy does not appear to alter pregnancy outcomes. Untreated curable STIs ( T.vaginalis, C.trachomatis, N.gonorrhoea ) were more likely associated with preterm births., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.)

This study assesses the predictive value of the ratio of HIV-1 antibodies in the newborn at birth to that in the mother for perinatally transmitted infection confirmed subsequently by age 18 months. The ratio of HIV-1 (EIA) antibody levels in the baby at birth to that in the seropositive mother after the first trimester (sequenstration index SI) was available in 114 of a perinatal cohort of 137 infants. We related this ratio to the HIV infection status of the children by 18 months, HIV-1 DNA PCR and HIV-specific IgA antibody detection at birth, between 3 and 6 months, and morbidity and mortality. Thirty-five of the 137 (26 per cent) children were diagnosed as infected by 18 months. The mean (SD) HIV SI was 1.57 (0.88) in 29 infected and 0.83 (0.42) in 85 uninfected infants (P < 0.0001). Sensitivity and specificity of a threshold SI of 1.27 (mean +/- 2 SD of uninfected group) for the prediction of perinatal HIV-1 infection were 41 and 98 per cent, respectively. The reason for the higher SI in the infected babies is the combination of lower antibody titres in the transmitting mothers with raised levels in the infected babies. A similar analysis of antibody ratios showed no statistical differences for measles and tetanus (P > 0.1) between HIV infected and uninfected groups. There was a tendency to increased morbidity (Pearson's correlation coefficient r = 0.31) and more severe disease in those with higher HIV-1 SI. Three of 17 (18 per cent) peripheral blood samples from infected children at birth were PCR positive; all had SI's above the threshold. Overall sensitivity and specificity of PCR were 85 per cent each. Eleven of the 29 infected children were HIV-1 specific IgA positive at birth; six (64 per cent) of these had an SI > 1.27. This simple SI of HIV-1 EIA antibodies at birth is comparable to elaborate techniques in its power to predict perinatally acquired infection. It may be a cheap, reliable and rapid screening test for vertically transmitted HIV-1 infection.

The objective of the study was to indicate HIV infection in infants. The patients were part of a longitudinal cohort of 43 infants born to HIV seropositive mothers. A modified Genelavia EIA primarily directed against HIV envelope proteins was used. An alkaline phosphatase labelled IgG3 conjugate was substituted in place of the kit conjugate. HIV specific IgG3 clearance was optimal at 6 months, whilst HIV total antibody was reliable only from age 12 months onwards. At 6 months no detectable IgG3 were found in 91 per cent of uninfected infants where more of these infants had reduced their total HIV antibody titres at the same period. We confirm that HIV specific IgG3 measurement is a reliable and cost effective means of identifying HIV infected infants from 6 months of age onwards.