Viral studies of mothers with human immunodeficiency virus infection at delivery and their infants in the first 3 days of life.

Objective: We studied 49 mother-infant pairs for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (a) to assess the virological and immunological status of HIV-infected mothers at delivery and their infants within the first 3 days of the infant's life, and (b) to correlate these findings with eventual infection outcome in the infant.

Method: Maternal blood from women in labor and infant's blood within 3 days of life were tested for the titer of HIV immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody, for presence of HIV by culture, for p24 antigen, for HIV DNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and for absolute T-helper cell count (CD4).

Results: Eight infants were in the confirmed infected (CI) group, with a transmission rate of 21%.

Perinatal 'TORCH' infections identified by serology: correlation with abnormalities in the children through 7 years of age.

A matched case-control methodology was used to assess the risk for a wide range of abnormalities in children associated with serological evidence for 'TORCH' infections in the mothers. Specimens were selected from the large bank of sera from the approximately 54,000 pregnant women who participated in the Collaborative Perinatal Project. There was no clear association between any of the antigens studied and any specific damage to the child.

Toxoplasmosis: maternal and pediatric findings in 23,000 pregnancies.

An analysis of the antibody titers to toxoplasmosis for 22,845 pregnant women in the Collaborative Perinatal Project was conducted in relation to clinical and laboratory findings in the mothers and children through 7 years of age. More than 900 observations were considered for each mother and child. The major findings were in the children and included a predicted doubling in the frequency of deafness among children born to women with antibody to toxoplasmosis, a predicted 60% increase in microcephaly, and a 30% increase in low IQ (less than 70) in association with the presence of high maternal antibody titer (256 to 512) to toxoplasma.

Avidin-biotin latex agglutination assay for detection of antibodies to viral antigens.

A new method for attaching antigens to latex by an avidin-biotin technique is described. The procedure permits control of the amount of antigen attached to the latex and eliminates the need for highly purified antigens and destructive bridging chemicals. The avidin-biotin latex agglutination assay is a simple, rapid test well suited to detection of viral antibody.

Antibody to human and simian retrovirus, HTLV-I, HTLV-II, HIV, STLV-III, and SRV-I not increased in patients with multiple sclerosis.

We have tested sera from patients with multiple sclerosis, matched controls, and those with other neurological diseases, as well as sera from patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and controls and patients with tropical spastic paraparesis (TSP) and controls for antibody to human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I), HTLV-II, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), simian T-lymphotropic virus type III, or simian retrovirus type I by immunofluorescent activity test, and for HTLV-I and HIV by the ELISA method. Sera from patients with multiple sclerosis and matched controls, and from patients with optic neuritis and Parkinson's or other neuromuscular diseases did not have antibody to any of the retroviruses tested. Specimens from TSP patients and some controls contained HTLV-I antibody.