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Category: Project

Description: The intersection of HIV exposure and neurodevelopmental outcomes in children remains a critical area requiring comprehensive investigation. People living with HIV, including pregnant women, can experience episodes of immune dysregulation even with antiretroviral treatment. An aberrant immune regulation can also be observed in HIV-exposed and uninfected (HEU) children. Immune alterations during pregnancy and early life have the potential to impact the developing brain, leading to neurodevelopmental delays in the early years of life. As the immune system plays a crucial role in brain development, any perturbations during the critical period from conception to 5 years of age might have lasting consequences on cognitive and behavioural outcomes in children who are HEU. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether the poor neurodevelopmental outcomes observed in children who are HIV-exposed and uninfected can be explained through the intermediary influence of altered maternal and child immune profiles, and subsequent neuroimaging features, in these children. To bridge this knowledge gap, this proposal aims to integrate available immune, neuroimaging, and neurodevelopmental datasets from a South African longitudinal birth cohort. We aim to delineate trajectories of peripheral blood levels of inflammatory and neuroimmune markers in children who are HEU and their mothers, and identify potential associations with neurometabolic and white matter microstructural manifestations. The unique context of South Africa, where the burden of HIV is substantial, may offer insights that can inform both local and global strategies for improving child health outcomes.