PURPOSE: to investigate the effect of antiretroviral drugs on carbohydrate metabolism in HIV-infected pregnant women and on fetal and neonatal prognosis. METHODS: a prospective study was conducted on 57 pregnant women. The women were divided into three groups: ZDV group, taking zidovudine (n=20), TT group, taking zidovudine + lamivudine + nelfinavir (n=25), and control group (n=12). Blood samples were obtained for the determination of the area under the curve (AUC) after a 75-g oral glucose test at four periods during pregnancy (1st=14-20 weeks, 2nd= 21-26 weeks, 3rd=27-32 weeks and 4th=33-38 weeks). Perinatal prognosis was based on prematurity rates, intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), low birth weight, perinatal mortality, and vertical HIV-1 transmission. Data were analyzed statistically using the nonparametric c² test, Friedman test and Kruskal-Wallis test. RESULTS: the median values of the AUC were 11.685 mg/dL for the control group, 13.477 mg/dL for the ZDV Group, and 13.650 mg/dL for the TT group (p=0.049). The antiretroviral agents had no deleterious effects on prematurity, low birth weight, IUGR rates or on Apgar score. There was no case of vertical transmission of HIV-1. CONCLUSIONS: an association was detected between the use of triple therapy and the development of carbohydrate intolerance during pregnancy. This association was not shown with ZDV alone. The antiretroviral agents had no deleterious effects on perinatal prognosis.
Antiretroviral drugs; Carbohydrate metabolism; Perinatal outcome; Pregnancy and HIV-1 infection; Vertical transmission
