Detection of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) proviral DNA in breast milk and colostrum of seropositive mothers

There is increasing evidence of vertical transmission of HIV-1 to infants through breast feeding of milk from HIV-1 infected mothers. It has been postulated that transmission occurs mainly via ingestion of infected cells in breast milk and colostrum. In this study, detection of HIV-1 proviral DNA was used to prove that cells from colostrum and milk do contain HIV. DNA were extracted from these cells of colostrum and milk of 18 seropositive mothers and amplified by nested PCR for HIV-1 gag and pol and 44 per cent were positive mostly by two primers. All ten negative control samples from seronegative mothers were negative. This study demonstrated the infectivity of breast milk and colostrum. Nevertheless, recommendation against breast-feeding should be weighed against poor alternatives in low socioeconomic families.