Effects of Antiretroviral Drugs on Steroid Hormones Among HIV-Infected Antenatal Women in Nigeria

Abstract

Objective: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is a global threat. The administration of Antiretroviral drugs (ARD) is the most effective means of hampering the fatality of the disease. This study was to determine the effects of ARD (Combivir, Nevirapine) on estradiol and progesterone in the third trimester of pregnancy. Methods: 120 pregnant women in Bori, Rivers State, Nigeria, were randomly selected for this study. Sixty of these women were pregnant and apparently healthy (control group), while the rest sixty were HIV-infected pregnant women who began antenatal visits in 2nd trimester of their pregnancy. Their blood samples were collected in their 3rd trimester of pregnancy. The estradiol and progesterone levels were quantitatively determined using Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) methods. Results: In the 3rd trimester when the samples were collected, there was no significant difference (p.value 0.2042) between the mean progesterone level of seronegative (766.66±18.17nmol/L) and seropositive pregnant women (804.71±23.63 nmol/L). Contrariwise, there was a significant difference (p.value 0.0001) in estradiol level; seronegative women’s level (37,490.09± 2,080.56 pmol/L) being significantly higher than that of seropositive women’s (28,135.40±986.45pmol/L). Conclusion: The significant difference in estradiol levels among these two groups of women indicated that despite the initiation of antiretroviral medication on HIV-infected women, steroidogenesis of this pregnancy hormone did not measure up to their non-infected pregnant counterparts while the insignificant difference in progesterone among these groups reflected a good response of the hormone to the drug therapy.