ObjectivesZidovudine (ZDV) has been the cornerstone of antiretroviral (ARV) therapy for pregnant women infected with HIV-1 in the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) and remains the only licensed ARV for use in pregnancy. We explored the current and future roles of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) in the prevention of MTCT of HIV-1.
MethodsWe reviewed the published literature by conducting database searches of in vitro, animal and clinical studies, reported in journals and at conferences, using the search terms Tenofovir/gs4331/viread, pregnant/pregnancy, lactate, lactation, natal, reproduce/reproduction, placenta/placental, malformation, and teratogenicity/teratogenic.
ResultsIn a macaque model, perinatal exposure to very high dose tenofovir resulted in bone toxicity in some offspring. However, perinatal use of TDF, both single dose and as part of highly active antiretroviral therapy in women, has been well tolerated in the short term by mothers and their infants. Further, the addition of single-dose TDF to single-dose nevirapine (SD-NVP) during delivery following maternal ZDV use during pregnancy significantly reduces the frequency of nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) resistance.
ConclusionsThe addition of TDF to SD-NVP reduces NNRTI resistance. The role of TDF in this setting and during pregnancy for reducing rates of MTCT requires investigation. While short-term toxicity data are encouraging, long-term follow-up of exposed mothers and infants is required.Keywords: mother-to-child transmission, nevirapine resistance, tenofovir DF, toxicity Accepted 6 February 2009 Introduction For over a decade, zidovudine (ZDV) has been the cornerstone of antiretroviral therapy (ART) for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV-1 and, remarkably, it remains the only licensed antiretroviral (ARV) for use during pregnancy. Recent guidelines for treatment-naïve HIV-1-infected nonpregnant adults have seen a shift away from ZDV-based highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) because of concerns over toxicity [1,2]. Peripartum use of single-dose nevirapine (SD-NVP), the only ARV available for most pregnant women living with HIV-1 world-wide, while effective in reducing MTCT, is associated frequently with the development of nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) resistance mutations in both mothers and their infants [3][4][5][6]. The widespread use of HAART in resourcerich settings has led to significant reductions in MTCT, with the effects of in utero ART exposure in HIV-uninfected children receiving increasing attention and study [7][8][9][10]. With these issues in mind, we explore the current and future roles of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) in the prevention of MTCT of HIV-1, reviewing currently available data from in vitro, animal and clinical studies. The potential benefit of ARVs other than ZDV in prevention of MTCT was first demonstrated for nevirapine (NVP) in the HIVNET 012 trial, which demonstrated a 47% reduction in MTCT compared with pe...