Association of In Utero HIV Exposure With Obesity and Reactive Airway Disease in HIV-Negative Adolescents and Young Adults

Offspring cardiometabolic outcomes and postnatal growth trajectories after exposure to maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study is to determine whether in utero exposure to SARS-CoV-2 is associated with increased risk for a cardiometabolic diagnosis by 18 months of age.

METHODS

This retrospective electronic health record (EHR)-based cohort study included the live-born offspring of all individuals who delivered during the COVID-19 pandemic (April 1, 2020-December 31, 2021) at eight hospitals in Massachusetts. Offspring exposure was defined as a positive maternal SARS-CoV-2 polymerase chain reaction test during pregnancy. The primary outcome was presence of an ICD-10 code for a cardiometabolic disorder in offspring EHR by 18 months. Weight-, length-, and BMI-for-age z scores were calculated and compared at 6-month intervals from birth to 18 months.

RESULTS

A total of 29,510 offspring (1599 exposed and 27,911 unexposed) were included. By 18 months, 6.7% of exposed and 4.4% of unexposed offspring had received a cardiometabolic diagnosis (crude odds ratio [OR] 1.47 [95% CI: 1.10 to 1.94], p = 0.007; adjusted OR 1.38 [1.06 to 1.77], p = 0.01). Exposed offspring had a significantly greater mean BMI-for-age z score versus unexposed offspring at 6 months (z score difference 0.19 [95% CI: 0.10 to 0.29], p < 0.001; adjusted difference 0.04 [-0.06 to 0.13], p = 0.4).

CONCLUSIONS

Exposure to maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection was associated with an increased risk of receiving a cardiometabolic diagnosis by 18 months preceded by greater BMI-for-age at 6 months.

Accelerated Longitudinal Weight Gain Among Infants With In Utero COVID-19 Exposure

CONTEXT

Since the initial outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a novel population of children with in utero exposure to maternal infection has emerged whose health outcomes are largely unknown.

OBJECTIVE

To compare longitudinal growth trajectories among infants with vs without in utero COVID-19 exposure.

METHODS

We conducted a longitudinal cohort study leveraging a prospectively enrolled perinatal biorepository among 149 infants with in utero COVID-19 exposure and 127 unexposed controls. Weight, length, and body mass index (BMI) were abstracted from health records at 0, 2, 6, and 12 months and standardized using World Health Organization growth charts. Analyses were adjusted for maternal age, ethnicity, parity, insurance, and BMI as well as infant sex, birthdate, and breastfeeding.

RESULTS

Infants with in utero COVID-19 exposure vs controls exhibited differential trajectories of weight and BMI, but not length, z-score over the first year of life (study group × time interaction, P < .0001 for weight and BMI). Infants born to mothers with prenatal COVID-19 had lower BMI z-score at birth (effect size: -0.35, 95% CI -0.66 to -0.03) and greater gain in BMI z-score from birth to 12 months (effect size: 0.53, 95% CI 0.06 to 0.99). Birth weight z-score mediated a significant proportion of the relationship between COVID-19 exposure and postnatal growth (estimate ± SE, 32 ± 14%, P = .02).

CONCLUSION

Infants with in utero COVID-19 exposure exhibited lower birth weight and accelerated weight gain in the first year of life, which may be harbingers of downstream cardiometabolic pathology. Further studies are needed to delineate cardiometabolic sequelae among this emerging global population.

In-utero HIV exposure and cardiometabolic health among children 5-8 years: findings from a prospective birth cohort in South Africa

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate if in-utero HIV exposure is associated with adverse cardiometabolic health outcomes at 5-8 years of age.

DESIGN

Prospective cohort study.

METHODS

We enrolled a random sample of HIV-exposed but uninfected (HEU) and HIV-unexposed children from the Drakenstein Child Health study, a longitudinal birth cohort study in Cape Town, South Africa, in a cardiometabolic health pilot study. Outcomes were assessed by trained study staff and included: anthropometry, body composition and size, blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, HbA1c, lipids, and insulin resistance using HOMA-IR. We used multivariable linear and log-binomial regression to estimate associations between HIV-exposure and cardiometabolic outcomes, adjusted for child age, sex, height, body size, and maternal factors as appropriate.

RESULTS

We included 260 children (HEU n = 100, HIV-unexposed n = 160). HEU children had older mothers (median age 30 vs. 26 years), with minimal differences in gestational age and size at birth by HIV-exposure status. In multivariable analyses, HEU children had lower weight-for-age (mean difference -0.35, 95% confidence interval -0.66, -0.05), and height-for-age (mean difference -0.29, 95% confidence interval -0.56, -0.03; z-scores). There were no differences in adiposity, impaired glucose metabolism, or lipid levels by HIV-exposure status. Overall, 12% of children had blood pressure more than 90th percentile, with no differences by HIV-exposure status.

CONCLUSION

Overall, there were few differences in cardiometabolic outcomes between HEU and HIV-unexposed children in this South African cohort. Although these findings are reassuring, monitoring of cardiometabolic health is important as HEU and HIV-unexposed children enter adolescence and cardiometabolic risk trajectories become established.

Immune Responses to SARS-CoV-2 in Pregnancy: Implications for the Health of the Next Generation

Widespread SARS-CoV-2 infection among pregnant individuals has led to a generation of fetuses exposed in utero, but the long-term impact of such exposure remains unknown. Although fetal infection is rare, children born to mothers with SARS-CoV-2 infection may be at increased risk for adverse neurodevelopmental and cardiometabolic outcomes. Fetal programming effects are likely to be mediated at least in part by maternal immune activation. In this review, we discuss recent evidence regarding the effects of prenatal SARS-CoV-2 infection on the maternal, placental, and fetal immune response, as well as the implications for the long-term health of offspring. Extrapolating from what is known about the impact of maternal immune activation in other contexts (e.g., obesity, HIV, influenza), we review the potential for neurodevelopmental and cardiometabolic morbidity in offspring. Based on available data suggesting potential increased neurodevelopmental risk, we highlight the importance of establishing large cohorts to monitor offspring born to SARS-CoV-2-positive mothers for neurodevelopmental and cardiometabolic sequelae.

Placental Vascular Abnormalities in Association With Prenatal and Long-Term Health Characteristics Among HIV-Exposed Uninfected Adolescents and Young Adults

BACKGROUND

HIV-exposed uninfected (HEU) individuals are predisposed to adverse health outcomes, which in part may stem from the influence of an altered intrauterine milieu on fetal programming. The placenta serves as a readout for the effects of the maternal environment on the developing fetus and may itself contribute to the pathogenesis of disease.

SETTING

US academic health system.

METHODS

We leveraged a previously established registry-based cohort of HEU adolescents and young adults to identify 26 subjects for whom placental histopathology was available. We further obtained placental tissue from 29 HIV-unexposed pregnancies for comparison. We examined differences in placental histopathology between the groups and related villous vascularity in the HEU group to prenatal maternal characteristics and long-term health outcomes.

RESULTS

Placentas from HEU pregnancies demonstrated a higher blood vessel count per villus as compared with controls (5.9 ± 1.0 vs. 5.4 ± 0.8; P = 0.05), which was independent of maternal prenatal age, race, body mass index, smoking status, hemoglobin, and gestational age. Furthermore, within the HEU group, lower CD4+ T-cell count during pregnancy was associated with greater placental vascularity (r = -0.44; P = 0.03). No significant relationships were observed between placental blood vessel count per villus and body mass index z-score or reactive airway disease among HEU individuals later in life.

CONCLUSIONS

Placentas from HEU pregnancies demonstrated increased villous vascularity compared with HIV-unexposed controls in proportion to the severity of maternal immune dysfunction. Further studies are needed to examine intrauterine exposure to hypoxia as a potential mechanism of fetal programming in HIV.

Perinatally acquired HIV infection is associated with abnormal blood mitochondrial function during childhood/adolescence

OBJECTIVE

We assessed differences in mitochondrial function between youth living with perinatal HIV (YPHIV) and youth perinatally HIV-exposed but uninfected (YPHEU).

DESIGN

Cross-sectional analysis.

METHODS

We measured lactate and pyruvate values, as well as mitochondrial Complex I and Complex IV activity in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Logistic or linear regression models were fit, as appropriate, to assess the association between PHIV status and each mitochondrial parameter, adjusted for confounders. We introduced interaction terms to assess effect modification of PHIV status on the relationship between anthropometric factors and each mitochondrial parameter. Among YPHIV, similar regression models were fit to assess the relationship between HIV-associated factors and each mitochondrial outcome.

RESULTS

A total of 243 YPHIV and 118 YPHEU were compared. On average, YPHIV had higher lactate/pyruvate ratio (β: 7.511, 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 0.402, 14.620) and Complex IV activity (β: 0.037, 95% CI: 0.002, 0.072) compared to YPHEU, adjusted for confounders. Among YPHIV, body mass index Z score (BMIZ) and Complex I activity were inversely associated, whereas, among YPHEU, there was a positive association (β for interaction: -0.048, P = 0.003). Among YPHIV, current (β: -0.789, 95% CI: -1.174, -0.404) and nadir CD4+% (β: -0.605, 95% CI: -1.086, -0.125) were inversely associated with lactate/pyruvate ratio; higher current (4.491, 95% CI: 0.754, 8.229) and peak (7.978, 95% CI: 1.499, 14.457) HIV RNA levels were positively associated with lactate/pyruvate ratio in adjusted models.

CONCLUSIONS

Mitochondrial function and substrate utilization appear perturbed in YPHIV compared to YPHEU. Increasing immunosuppression and viremia are associated with mitochondrial dysfunction among YPHIV.