Revista de diagnóstico y biomarcadores moleculares

Molecular Evaluation of HIV-1 Mother to Child Transmission in Senegal

Abstract

Babacar Faye, Seynabou Mangane, Rémi Charlebois, Aissatou Ngom-Fall, Salimata Gueye Diouf, Mouhamadou Moustapha Diagne, Mbacké Sembène and Alioune Dièye

Context: Early detection and treatment of children infected by HIV positive mothers remain a health priority to limit the spread of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and related morbidity and mortality. In 2017 in Senegal, only 23% of children born to mothers infected with HIV-1 benefited from early infant diagnosis. This is reflected by similar numbers in the sub-Saharan region. The dissemination of early infant diagnosis is needed to assess the effectiveness of HIV-1 mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) prevention programs in resource-limited settings.

Objective: The objective of our study is to evaluate the rate of HIV-1 mother-to-child transmission in Senegal among children under 15 months of age born to HIV-1-positive mothers and identify risk factors.

Material and method: This study carried out between September 2016 and May 2018, including 393 children born to HIV+ mothers from different health facilities throughout the country. The sample used is dried blood spot (DBS). Early infant diagnosis (EID) was done by PCR on Cobas^®AmpliPrep/Cobas^®TaqMan^®HIV-1 Qualitative V. 2.0. The data was analyzed with R Studio.

Results: Of the 393 children born to HIV-positive mothers, 28 are PCR-positive showing an HIV-1 MTCT rate of 7.1%. There was no significant association between the rate of MTCT and the following sociodemographic characteristics: sex, children prophylaxis, and geographic area of infancy (p>0.05). The MTCT of HIV-1 was significantly associated with maternal prophylaxis, ethnicity, and type of breastfeeding (p <0.05).

Conclusion: Transmission rate is higher than those described in the previous national surveys of 2010, 2014 and 2016 that were respectively 4.2%; 3.1% and 3.3%.