Hyperferritinemia and markers of inflammation and oxidative stress in the cord blood of HIV‐exposed, uninfected (HEU) infants. Issue 6 (27th February 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Selvam, A; Buhimschi, IA; Makin, JD; Pattinson, RC; Anderson, R; Forsyth, BW
• Is Part Of: HIV medicine. Volume 16:Issue 6(2015:Jul.)
• Page Start: 375
• Page End: 380
• Publication Date: 2015-02-27
• Subjects: HIV infections -- Treatment -- Periodicals; HIV-positive persons -- Periodicals; HIV infections -- Treatment -- Decision making -- Periodicals; 616.9792
• DOI: 10.1111/hiv.12214
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1464-2662

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main"> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <sec id="hiv12214-sec-0001" sec-type="section"> <title>Objectives</title> <p>The purpose of this study was to evaluate markers of iron status and inflammation/oxidative stress in maternal and cord blood (CB) of HIV‐infected and HIV‐uninfected women as potential mechanisms for poor outcomes among HIV‐exposed, uninfected (HEU) infants.</p> </sec> <sec id="hiv12214-sec-0002" sec-type="section"> <title>Methods</title> <p>Maternal venous blood and CB specimens were obtained from 87 pregnant women (45 HIV‐infected and 42 HIV‐uninfected) enrolled at Kalafong Hospital, Pretoria, South Africa. Iron status [serum iron, ferritin and transferrin concentrations, transferrin saturation, soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) concentration and the sTfR/log ferritin (sTfR/F) index], antenatal exposure to inflammation (CB C‐reactive protein and interleukin‐6 concentrations and haptoglobin switch‐on status) and oxidative stress [total radical trapping ability of CB plasma (TRAP) and chronic oxidative stress (soluble receptor of advanced glycation end‐products (sRAGE) concentration] were assessed in laboratory studies.</p> </sec> <sec id="hiv12214-sec-0003" sec-type="section"> <title>Results</title> <p>There were no differences between the HIV‐infected and HIV‐uninfected groups in maternal haematological and iron indices, except that HIV‐infected mothers had decreased white blood cell counts (<italic>P</italic> = 0.048) and increased serum ferritin concentrations (<italic>P</italic> = 0.032). Ferritin levels were significantly higher in CB than in maternal blood (<italic>P</italic> < 0.001) in both groups and further elevated in the CB of HEU infants (<italic>P</italic> = 0.044). There was also an inverse relationship between CB sTfR/F index and sRAGE (<italic>r</italic> = −0.43; <italic>P</italic> = 0.003) in the HIV‐infected but not in the HIV‐uninfected group.</p> </sec> <sec id="hiv12214-sec-0004" sec-type="section"> <title>Conclusions</title> <p>Our study showed for the first time that ferritin was significantly elevated in CB of HEU infants. The inverse relationship between sTfR/F index and sRAGE in CB suggests that chronic oxidative stress or RAGE axis activation in HIV‐infected mothers may play a role in modulating ferritin levels.</p> </sec> </abstract>