Hematological alterations and thymic function in newborns of HIV-infected mothers receiving antiretroviral drugs.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs on hematological parameters and thymic function in HIV-uninfected newborns of HIV-infected mothers. STUDY DESIGN Cross sectional study. SETTINGS Chiang-Mai University Hospital, Chiang-Mai, Thailand. PARTICIPANTS /PATIENTS 49 HIV-uninfected and 26 HIV-infected pregnancies. METHODS Cord blood samples of newborns from HIV-uninfected and HIV-infected mothers were collected. Hematological parameters were measured using automatic blood cell count. T-cell receptor excision circles (TRECs) levels in cord blood mononuclear cells (CBMCs), CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells were quantified using real-time PCR.. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Hemotological parameters and thymic function. RESULTS Newborn of HIV-infected mother tended to have lower mean levels of hemoglobin than those of HIV-uninfected mother (137 ±22 vs 146 ±17 g/L, P = 0.05). Furthermore, mean of red blood cell (RBC) counts and hematocrit and median of TRECs in CD4+ T-cells in the newborns of the former were significantly lower than those of the latter [3.6 ±0.7 vs 4.8 ±0.6 x 1012 cells/L, P <0.001; 0.40 ±0.07 vs 0.46 ±0.05 L/L, P < 0.001 and 0.53 (IQR: 0.03-5.76) vs 13.20 (IQR: 2.77-27.51) x 10-3 pg/uL, P = 0.02, respectively]. CONCLUSION ARV drugs altered hematological parameters and thymic function (TRECs CD4+ T-cells) in HIV-uninfected newborns of HIV-infected mothers.