Thesis (MMed (Medical Microbiology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2006.One of the major routes of transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the
developing world is vertical transmission from mother to infant – pre-, intra-, or post-partum.
In the Western Cape, HIV-1 subtype C is the predominant subtype in the heterosexual
population, and this trend was expected to be seen amongst cases of mother-to-child
transmission of HIV. The aim of this study was to perform genetic characterisation and
phylogenetic analysis of the HIV-1 genome in positive serum/plasma samples obtained from
children (age 0 to 18 months) from 2000-2002, and temporally related specimens from their
mothers. We obtained 27 suitable pairs of samples taken within 6 months of delivery. From
this pool, we obtained 21 infant DNA sequences and 17 maternal sequences, resulting in 16
mother-infant pairs. All patient sequences were identified as HIV-1 subtype C, and, as
expected, mother and infant viral sequences clustered together. In some cases where a mother
was suspected to have two dominant quasispecies based on the electropherogram, only one
sequence was detectable in the infant. Single or multiple amino acid deletions were
consistent between mothers and infants, and some pairs showed the same amino acid
deletions seen in other pairs
