Asymptomatic women at high risk of vertical HIV-1 transmission to their fetuses

Objective To identify how reliably CD4+ (helper) lymphocyte count and p24 antigenaemia can predict mother-to-infant transmission of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). Design Prospective study. Setting University of Turin Center for Intravenous Drug Users (IVDU) and/or HIV-1 seropositive pregnant women. Subjects Twenty-nine infants born to asymptomatic seropositive women from November 1985 to June 1991. Results Seven children (24%) developed symptomatic infection, while 22 healthy seronegative children at the age of 18 months were considered uninfected. A CD4+ lymphocyte count persistently