Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 15, 2026

Methods Development for Blood Borne Macrophage Carriage of Nanoformulated Antiretroviral Drugs
Published on: December 9, 2010
Life-threatening maternal and fetal macrocytic anemia from antiretroviral therapy
Stephen A Myers1, Sandra Torrente, Daniel Hinthorn
1Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas 66160-7316, USA. smyers3@kumc.edu
Background:
Antiretroviral therapy is recommended for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients during pregnancy to reduce the vertical transmission to the newborn. Complications from this therapy are uncommon.
Case:
A 38-year-old HIV-positive pregnant woman was treated with lamivudine and zidovudine. At 28 weeks of gestation, her hemoglobin had fallen to 4.6 g/dL with an mean corpuscular volume (MCV) of 126 microm. At 36 weeks the fetal biophysical profile was abnormal. A pale hydropic infant was delivered via emergency cesarean, with a hemoglobin of 2.1 gm and MCV of 131 microm. The newborn hemoglobin normalized after withdrawal of the neonatal retroviral therapy.
Conclusion:
Maternal-fetal macrocytic anemia may complicate antiretroviral therapy.
Related Concept Videos
Cytomegalovirus Disease
Cryptococcal Meningitis
Retrovirus Life Cycles
Pulmonary Tuberculosis I
Causative Organism
The primary infectious agent causing tuberculosis is Mycobacterium tuberculosis, a slow-growing, acid-fast, aerobic rod that exhibits sensitivity to heat and ultraviolet light. Instances of Mycobacterium bovis and Mycobacterium avium contributing to the development of TB infection are rare.
Mode of...
Antiviral Nucleoside Inhibitors
Immunodeficiency Diseases
There are three main causes of immunodeficiency disorders...

