Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 19, 2026
Ex vivo Culture of Human Placental Explants for the Study of Viral Transmission Across the Maternal-Fetal Interface
Published on: December 30, 2025
Amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling in HIV-infected pregnant women: a multicentre case series
M Floridia1, G Masuelli2, A Meloni3
1Department of Therapeutic Research and Medicines Evaluation, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
Objectives:
To assess in pregnant women with HIV the rates of amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling (CVS), and the outcomes associated with such procedures.
Design:
Observational study. Data from the Italian National Program on Surveillance on Antiretroviral Treatment in Pregnancy were used.
Setting:
University and hospital clinics.
Population:
Pregnant women with HIV.
Methods:
Temporal trends were analysed by analysis of variance and by the Chi-square test for trend. Quantitative variables were compared by Student's t-test and categorical data by the Chi-square test, with odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals calculated.
Main Outcome Measures:
Rate of invasive testing, intrauterine death, HIV transmission.
Results:
Between 2001 and 2015, among 2065 pregnancies in women with HIV, 113 (5.5%) had invasive tests performed. The procedures were conducted under antiretroviral treatment in 99 cases (87.6%), with a significant increase over time in the proportion of tests performed under highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) (100% in 2011-2015). Three intrauterine deaths were observed (2.6%), and 14 pregnancies were terminated because of fetal anomalies. Among 96 live newborns, eight had no information available on HIV status. Among the remaining 88 cases with either amniocentesis (n = 75), CVS (n = 12), or both (n = 1), two HIV transmissions occurred (2.3%). No HIV transmission occurred among the women who were on HAART at the time of invasive testing, and none after 2005.
Conclusions:
The findings reinforce the assumption that invasive prenatal testing does not increase the risk of HIV vertical transmission among pregnant women under suppressive antiretroviral treatment.
Tweetable Abstract:
No HIV transmission occurred among women who underwent amniocentesis or CVS under effective anti-HIV regimens.
