Longitudinal leukocyte telomere length during pregnancy and post-partum in HIV super(+) women on combination antiretroviral therapy compared to HIV super(-) pregnant women

Both combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) and HIV viraemia can affect telomerase activity and oxidative stress, potentially modulating leukocyte telomere length (LTL), a marker of ageing and predictor of lifespan. The effect of pregnancy, HIV and cART use during pregnancy on LTL is unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of cART initiation/interruption, and other relevant factors on LTL in pregnancy and post-partum. This is the first study to examine LTL in the context of either pregnancy or cART initiation/interruption. Preliminary results suggest that LTL increases slowly and steadily as pregnancy progresses, irrespective of HIV/cART status. For HIV+ women, LTL decreases significantly after delivery, regardless of cART continuation or interruption.