Comparison of HTLV-3 serology T cell levels and general health status of children whose mothers have AIDS with children of healthy inner city mothers in New York [abstract]

Although AIDS has been shown to be transmitted from mother to child this appears to occur either in utero or perinatally. Usually illness has occurred within 3 years prior to mothers onset of illness. We examined the hypothesis that horizontal transmission to children does not occur and that older children living with their mothers but born prior to the theoretic incubation of the mother should be disease-free. We studied 17 children aged 3 to 11 of 9 mothers with AIDS 55 unmatched control children of 36 healthy mothers. We collected information on mothers lifestyle socioeconomic status and childrens history of infections. Approximately half of the mothers and children had physical examinations and blood tests for T cells and HTLV-3 antibody. There was no difference in history or physical findings in the 2 groups of children. Absolute numbers of T cells and the mean T helper to T suppressor ratio were not significantly different between the 2 groups of children. HTLV-3 ELISA was negative in all 10 children of mothers with AIDS tested. Of 8 mothers with AIDS 4 were seropositive 3 negative 1 equivocal. All control mothers and children were negative. In this small comparison survey we found no evidence for horizontal transmission of HTLV-3 or AIDS illness from mother to child. (full text)