Objectives
Early introduction of non-breast milk foods is associated with increased morbidity and mortality in the developing world. This is particularly true for HIV-infected infants, who have a more rapid rate of disease progression if they consume non-breast milk foods. Here we describe a potential mechanism to explain how non-breast milk foods might influence HIV disease progression, exposure to food borne toxins, specifically the immunomodulatory mycotoxin, ochratoxin (OTA).
Methods
This study was based in Khayelitsha, South Africa, an informal settlement outside of Cape Town. We enrolled 151 HIV-exposed, uninfected infants at birth into a prospective cohort and followed them until 14 weeks of age. Mothers self-selected feeding modes but exclusive feeding was encouraged. Blood and detailed demographic and health data were collected at birth, 2, 6 and 14 weeks of age. Flow cytometry was performed on cryopreserved PBMC to assess T cell activation, plasma cytokines were measured with multiplex assays, and ochratoxin levels were measured using competitive ELISA.
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