HIV / AIDS NEWS

[2xh]

HIV Study Prompts Call For Revision Of Breastfeeding Guidelines

A study by scientists at the Africa Centre for Health and Population Studies, South Africa, has shown that exclusive breastfeeding can significantly reduce the risk of HIV transmission from mother to child in infants aged under six months when compared to those also given solid foods or replacement feed (i.e. formula milk). The research, published recently in The Lancet, has implications for people in resource poor settings, such as in rural Africa.

In the study, funded by the UK's Wellcome Trust, researchers at the Africa Centre, University of KwaZulu-Natal, found that there was a 4% risk of postnatal transmission to infants solely fed on breast milk between the age of 6 weeks and 6 months of age. Infants who received formula milk or animal milk in addition to breast milk were nearly twice as likely to be infected as infants who received breast milk only. More alarmingly, those given solids in addition to breast milk were almost eleven times more likely to acquire infection.

"The question of whether or not to breastfeed is not a straightforward one," says Professor Hoosen Coovadia from the Africa Centre. "We know that breastfeeding carries with it a risk of transmitting HIV infection from mother to child, but breastfeeding remains a key intervention to reduce mortality. In many areas of Africa where poverty is endemic, replacement feed, such as formula milk or animal milk, is expensive and cannot act as a complete substitute. The key is to find ways of making breastfeeding safe."

In the developed world, the risk of transmission of HIV from mother to child has been dramatically reduced from about 25% to less than 2% thanks to the use of antiretroviral therapies, exclusive formula feeding regimes and excellent healthcare systems, but these are not available in resource-poor areas.

The mucous membrane within the intestine is thought to act as an effective barrier to HIV infection. Breast milk ordinarily strengthens and protects this lining. Exclusive breastfeeding is also associated with fewer breast health problems such as mastitis and breast abscesses, both of which can increase the amount of the HIV virus in the mother's breastmilk. It is unclear why adding solids may be particularly hazardous, though previous research has suggested that the larger, more complex proteins found in solid foods may lead to greater damage to the lining of the stomach, allowing the virus to pass through the gut wall.

Professor Coovadia and colleagues also found a significant increase in the risk of transmission even amongst exclusively breastfed infants when the mother had a CD4 cell count of less than 200/ml. CD4 cells coordinate the immune systems response to infection. Compared to mothers with a CD4 cell count of 500/ml, mothers with a CD4 count of less than 200/ml were almost twice as likely to infect their infants.

In addition to studying the risks of transmission, trained lay workers offered counselling to HIV-infected mothers to improve exclusive breastfeeding practices. As a result, they were able to achieve a much higher rate of exclusive breastfeeding than previously reported in similar communities.

The validity and importance of the results have been strengthened by other recently published and ongoing studies in Africa which confirm the team's findings about reduced transmission of HIV with exclusive breastfeeding, and the dangers to infant health and survival when replacement feeding deprives babies of the protective shield of breast milk.

"Based on our findings and evidence of being able to successfully support exclusive breastfeeding in HIV-infected women, and recent data from other parts of Africa, we believe that current guidelines on infant feeding warrant revising," says Professor Coovadia. "Previous reports have confused rather than guided such policies and we hope that our study will help clarify this complex issue."


Medicalnews Today

[cecilia]

GREEN TEA 'MAY KEEP HIV AT BAY'

Thursday, 29 March 2007
Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6502399.stm

Drinking green tea could help in the fight against HIV, research suggests.
Scientists found a component called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) prevents HIV from binding to immune system cells by getting there first.

Once EGCG has bound to immune system cells there is no room for HIV to take hold in its usual fashion.

However, experts said the joint UK and US work, which appears in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, was at a very preliminary stage.

Researcher Professor Mike Williamson, of the University of Sheffield, said: "Our research shows that drinking green tea could reduce the risk of becoming infected by HIV, and could also slow down the spread of HIV.

"It is not a cure, and nor is it a safe way to avoid infection, however, we suggest that it should be used in combination with conventional medicines to improve quality of life for those infected.

"Future research is also currently under way in order to determine how much effect can be expected from different amounts of tea."

More work needed

Keith Alcorn, senior editor of the Aidsmap web service, said tests on animals would be needed before any conclusions could be safely drawn on the potential protective effect of drinking green tea.

"This study only looks at the ability of a chemical in green tea to block HIV binding to human CD4 immune cells in the test tube.

"Many substances shown to prevent HIV infection in the test tube turn out to have little or no effect in real life, so I think there's a long way to go before anyone should rely on green tea to protect against HIV infection."

Lisa Power, head of policy at the HIV charity, Terrence Higgins Trust said: "Condoms keep HIV at bay. Anything that boosts your immune system is beneficial for people with HIV, but green tea can't be a substitute for proper medication and prevention techniques."

Green tea has been linked to a positive effect on a wide range of conditions, including heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer's.


Also, a recently published article that I found on PubMed:
Williamson MP, McCormick TG, Nance CL, Shearer WT. Epigallocatechin gallate, the main polyphenol in green tea, binds to the T-cell receptor, CD4: Potential for HIV-1 therapy. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2006 Dec;118(6):1369-74. Epub 2006 Oct 13.
( http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=17157668&query_hl=2&itool=pubmed_docsum )

[alfred98]

Poor countries in the Africa are used as a guinea pig for developed countries....Bad Bad!!!!

HIV Study Prompts Call For Revision Of Breastfeeding Guidelines

A study by scientists at the Africa Centre for Health and Population Studies, South Africa, has shown that exclusive breastfeeding can significantly reduce the risk of HIV transmission from mother to child in infants aged under six months when compared to those also given solid foods or replacement feed (i.e. formula milk). The research, published recently in The Lancet, has implications for people in resource poor settings, such as in rural Africa.

In the study, funded by the UK's Wellcome Trust, researchers at the Africa Centre, University of KwaZulu-Natal, found that there was a 4% risk of postnatal transmission to infants solely fed on breast milk between the age of 6 weeks and 6 months of age. Infants who received formula milk or animal milk in addition to breast milk were nearly twice as likely to be infected as infants who received breast milk only. More alarmingly, those given solids in addition to breast milk were almost eleven times more likely to acquire infection.

"The question of whether or not to breastfeed is not a straightforward one," says Professor Hoosen Coovadia from the Africa Centre. "We know that breastfeeding carries with it a risk of transmitting HIV infection from mother to child, but breastfeeding remains a key intervention to reduce mortality. In many areas of Africa where poverty is endemic, replacement feed, such as formula milk or animal milk, is expensive and cannot act as a complete substitute. The key is to find ways of making breastfeeding safe."

In the developed world, the risk of transmission of HIV from mother to child has been dramatically reduced from about 25% to less than 2% thanks to the use of antiretroviral therapies, exclusive formula feeding regimes and excellent healthcare systems, but these are not available in resource-poor areas.

The mucous membrane within the intestine is thought to act as an effective barrier to HIV infection. Breast milk ordinarily strengthens and protects this lining. Exclusive breastfeeding is also associated with fewer breast health problems such as mastitis and breast abscesses, both of which can increase the amount of the HIV virus in the mother's breastmilk. It is unclear why adding solids may be particularly hazardous, though previous research has suggested that the larger, more complex proteins found in solid foods may lead to greater damage to the lining of the stomach, allowing the virus to pass through the gut wall.

Professor Coovadia and colleagues also found a significant increase in the risk of transmission even amongst exclusively breastfed infants when the mother had a CD4 cell count of less than 200/ml. CD4 cells coordinate the immune systems response to infection. Compared to mothers with a CD4 cell count of 500/ml, mothers with a CD4 count of less than 200/ml were almost twice as likely to infect their infants.

In addition to studying the risks of transmission, trained lay workers offered counselling to HIV-infected mothers to improve exclusive breastfeeding practices. As a result, they were able to achieve a much higher rate of exclusive breastfeeding than previously reported in similar communities.

The validity and importance of the results have been strengthened by other recently published and ongoing studies in Africa which confirm the team's findings about reduced transmission of HIV with exclusive breastfeeding, and the dangers to infant health and survival when replacement feeding deprives babies of the protective shield of breast milk.

"Based on our findings and evidence of being able to successfully support exclusive breastfeeding in HIV-infected women, and recent data from other parts of Africa, we believe that current guidelines on infant feeding warrant revising," says Professor Coovadia. "Previous reports have confused rather than guided such policies and we hope that our study will help clarify this complex issue."


Medicalnews Today

[Admin]

Poor countries in the Africa are used as a guinea pig for developed countries....Bad Bad!!!!

Not really. I think the reason why the study is conducted there is because of the high prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Africa. Before a study is started, it must be approved by an ethic committee.

[2xh]

Poor countries in the Africa are used as a guinea pig for developed countries....Bad Bad!!!!

Not really. I think the reason why the study is conducted there is because of the high prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Africa. Before a study is started, it must be approved by an ethic committee.

agree