Doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(05)17699-5

Correspondence
Infant mortality (per thousand livebirths)
group on HIV in women and children.
Mortality among infected and uninfected Africa: a pooled analysis. Lancet 2004; 364:
Abrams EJ, Wiener J, Carter R, et al. Maternal health factors and early pediatric antiretroviral therapy influence the rate of perinatal HIV-Idisease progression in children. AIDS, 2003; Table: Infant mortality rates in countries included in article by Newell and
17: 867–77.
colleagues
Combination antiretroviral strategies for thetreatment of pregnant HIV-I-infected women and prevention of perinatal HIV-I transmission.
We thank Mary Pat Kieffer for empha- Table (above) created by the J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 2002; 29: 484–94.
Jourdain G, Ngo-Giang-Huong N, Le Coeur S, et al. Intrapartum exposure to nevirapine and support and treatment for all HIV- compiler/start.cfm?action=new_ subsequent maternal responses to nevirapine- infected mothers and vertically HIV- table&userid=128376&usertabid based antiretroviral therapy. N Engl J Med 2004; infected children who are eligible on the 351: 229–40.
5Morris L, Martinson N, Pillay C, et al. McIntyre basis of clinical or immunological dis- 2004) persistence of nevirapine resistance mutations 6 months following single dose nevirapine. XV Thailand, July 2004: abstract ThOrB1353.
not seem to have taken this finding into they are likely to be ill less frequently, effect on mortality rate, then surely the ated with lower infant mortality via pro- this population, as it does in others. This study died at age younger than 1 year.
return for their results, and overall less within the first few months of life.
I declare that I have no conflict of interest tedgreiner@yahoo.com
I declare that I have no conflict of interest. The opinions expressed here are those of the author and 4701 Willard Avenue, Apartment 907, Chevy Chase, Rollins N, Gaillard P, Dabis F for the Ghent mkieffer@usaid.gov
International AIDS Society (IAS) working group on HIV in women and children. Mortality among USAID/REDSO-ESA, PO Box 30261, Nairobi, Kenya infected and uninfected infants born to HIV- infected mothers in Africa: a pooled analysis.
Rollins N, Gaillard P, Dabis F for the Ghent Lancet 2004; 364: 1236–43.
globally,2 and initiatives from the United www.thelancet.com Vol 365 January 8, 2005
Correspondence
A prion lexicon (out of
control)
Ted Greiner refers to the finding that in tions there was no significant difference for either infected or uninfected children.
and r PrP’s. In fact, it has already been likely to be found in the limited statistical group that 20 years ago gave us its orig- Molecular model of conversion
of normal to misfolded protein
Coils are ␣ helices, ribbons are pretation that our findings suggest that ␤ sheets. breastfed children have lower mortality protein, only the abnormal protein, or and comprehension, but if abbrevia- the present day. Also, the pairing of PrPc cellular protein, and PrPTSE for any of its ground mortality is lower than in east or use, but it is manifestly inappropriate to significant effect of feeding modality on tors may also explain some of the differ- PrPCJD, PrPGSS, PrPFFI, PrPBSE, PrPCWD, and We declare that we have no conflict of interest.
paulwbrown@comcast.net
We declare that we have no conflict of interest.
were the most accurate representationsof prion terminology (although PrPsen is *7815 Exeter Road, Bethesda, MA 20814, USA (PB);and Jerome H Holland Laboratory, American Red *Marie-Louise Newell, Hoosen Coovadia, a contradiction in terms if PrP is under- Mario Cortina-Borja, Nigel Rollins, Caughey B, Neary K, Duller R, et al. Normal neuroblastoma cells. J Virol 1990; 64:
m.newell@ich.ucl.ac.uk
Centre for Paediatric Epidemiology, Institute of Child Politopolou G. Experimental approaches to TSE prevention via inhibition of prion formation.
ate),2 and the fraternal twins, sPrPSc and Prot Peptide Lett 2004; 11: 249–55.
Gaillard P, Fowler MG, Dabis F, et al. Use ofantiretroviral drugs to prevent HIV-1 Tremblay P, Ball HL, Kaneko K, et al. Mutant PrPSc conformers induced by a transmission through breastfeeding: from synthetic peptide and several prion strains. animal studies to randomized clinical trials.
J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 2004; 35:
J Virol 2004; 78: 2088–99.
Jeffrey M, Martin S, Gonzalez L. Cell-associated variants of disease-specific prion WHO. Scaling up antiretroviral therapy in resource-limited settings: treatment guidelinesfor a public health approach. Geneva: World different sources of sheep transmissiblespongiform encephalopathy. J Gen Virol 2003; 84: 1033–45.
5Serban A, Legname G, Hansen K, Kovaleva N, associated with reasons for non-breastfeedingand weaning: is breastfeeding best for HIV- Prusiner SB. Immunoglobulins in urine ofhamsters with scrapie. J Biol Chem 2004; positive mothers? AIDS 2003; 17: 879–85.
has recently appeared in print—PrPd (for 279: 48817–20.
www.thelancet.com Vol 365 January 8, 2005

Source: http://www.global-breastfeeding.org/pdf/letter_to_lancet_2005.pdf