German-Austrian recommendations for HIV1-therapy in pregnancy and in HIV1-exposed newborn, update 2008.

In Germany during the last years about 200-250 HIV1-infected pregnant women delivered a baby each year, a number that is currently increasing. To determine the HIV-status early in pregnancy voluntary HIV-testing of all pregnant women is recommended in Germany and Austria as part of prenatal care. In those cases, where HIV1-infection was known during pregnancy, since 1995 the rate of vertical transmission of HIV1 was reduced to 1-2%.

German-Austrian recommendations for HIV-therapy in pregnancy and in HIV-exposed newborn - update 2005.

In Germany during the last years about 200-250 HIV infected pregnant women delivered a baby each year, a number that is currently increasing. To determine the HIV-status early in pregnancy voluntary HIV-testing of all pregnant women is recommended in Germany and Austria as part of prenatal care. In those cases, where HIV infection was known during pregnancy, since 1995 the rate of vertical transmission of HIV was reduced to 1-2%.

German-Austrian recommendations for HIV-therapy in pregnancy: update May 2003.

In Germany during the past years about 200-250 HIV infected pregnant women delivered a baby per year, a number that is currently increasing. To determine the HIV-status early in pregnancy voluntary HIV-testing of all pregnant women is recommended in Germany and Austria as part of prenatal care. In those cases, where HIV infection was known during pregnancy, since 1995 the rate of vertical transmission of HIV was reduced to 1-2%.

German-Austrian recommendations for HIV-therapy in pregnancy--common declaration of The German AIDS-society (DAIG), The Austrian AIDS-society (OEAG) as well as The Robert-Koch Institute Berlin (RKI), The German Association of Physicians specialized in HIV Care (DAGNAE), The German Society of Pediatric and Youth Medicine (DGKJ), The German AIDS Pediatric Association (PAAD), The German Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology (DGGG), The National Reference Center for Retroviruses (NRZ), German AIDS Assistance (DAH).

Anti-retroviral therapy during pregnancy--The German/Austrian recommendations to optimise prevention of vertical transmission of HIV and to minimise adverse drug effects. In Germany during the last years about 200 HIV infected pregnant women delivered a baby each year, a number that is currently increasing. To determine the HIV-status early in pregnancy voluntary HIV-testing of all pregnant women is recommended in Germany and Austria as part of prenatal care.

Reproductive assistance to HIV-discordant couples--the German approach.

An estimated 35 000 Germans are infected with HIV, and 75% of these are of childbearing age. Couples with one infected partner are faced with the risk of infection of the healthy partner. By using assisted reproduction techniques (ART) and virus-free sperm it is possible to fulfil the desire for children while minimising the risk of acquisition of infection.

Improvement of immune functions in HIV infection by sulfur supplementation: two randomized trials.

To determine the therapeutic effect of sulfur amino acid supplementation in HIV infection we randomized 40 patients with antiretroviral therapy (ART; study 1) and 29 patients without ART (study 2) to treatment for 7 months with N-acetyl-cysteine or placebo at an individually adjusted dose according to a defined scheme. The main outcome measures were the change in immunological parameters including natural killer (NK) cell and T cell functions and the viral load. Both studies showed consistently that N-acetyl-cysteine causes a marked increase in immunological functions and plasma albumin concentrations.

Massive loss of sulfur in HIV infection.

Skeletal muscle tissue from SIV-infected macaques was previously found to contain abnormally high sulfate and low glutathione levels indicative of an excessive cysteine catabolism. We now confirm the peripheral tissue as a site of massive cysteine catabolism in HIV infection and have determined the urinary loss of sulfur per time unit. The comparison of the sulfate concentrations of the arterial and venous blood from the lower extremities of 16 symptomatic HIV+ patients and 18 HIV- control subjects (study 1) revealed (1) that the peripheral tissue of HIV+ patients with or without highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) releases large amounts of sulfate and (2) that plasma sulfate, thioredoxin, and interleukin-6 levels are elevated in these patients.

[Prenatal care of a HIV-1-positive pregnancy and birth].

Mother-to-child (vertical) transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) is now the main route of infection in HIV-positive children. Without any medical measures and avoiding breastfeeding the rate of vertical HIV-1-transmission is 15-20% in Europe. The rate of vertical HIV-transmission in the German centers is today approximately 2%.

[Incidence of congenital infections].

The discussions on the pros and cons of obstetric screening for connatal infections have been going on for years. We, therefore, conducted a prevalence study of the most common connatal infections. HIV infection, rubella and syphilis were not subjects of this study.