Analysis of the influencing factors on serum reversal in HIV-exposed children

Abstract

Objective To study the factors influencing serum reversal in HIV-exposed children.Methods The general information, clinical data, and serum results of 49 cases of HIV-infected pregnant women and their children exposed to HIV were collected from the Shenzhen Third People's Hospital from January 2019 to December 2021.Results All 49 HIV-exposed children were tested negative for HIV nucleic acid at 48 h, 6 weeks, and 3 months of age. The serum reversal rates at 12, 18 and 21 months were 59.18%, 93.87% and 100%, respectively. Whether the serum of HIV-exposed children was reversed at 12 months of age was not related to the maternal delivery, anti-retroviral therapy initiation time, nucleic acid test results, CD4+T lymphocyte count (P>0.05). It was not related to children’s sex, gestational age, birth weight, and the type of blocking drug used (P>0.05).Conclusion No clear influencing factors were found for serum reversal in HIV-exposed 12-month-old children. The consistency between nucleic acid detection and final serum reversal was 100%. In order to exclude the possibility of HIV infection as soon as possible and reduce family concerns, three times of negative nucleic acid results before 3 months of age in HIV-exposed children may be considered as a substitute for serum reversal.

Keywords

• hiv-infected pregnant women
• hiv-exposed children
• serum reversal
• early infant diagnosis
• mother-to-child transmission
• nucleic acid test
• influencing factors