Litron Developed Technology Evaluates Safety of AIDS Drug In Newborns

Litron Laboratories announced the use of their patented MicroFlow® technology was used to measure chromosome damage in newborn patients. This marks the first time this powerful, efficient process has been used to monitor drug-exposed mother/newborn pairs.

Released in a special issue of the journal Environmental and Molecular Mutagenesis, these results were presented under the title "Elevated Frequencies of Micronucleated Erythrocytes in Infants Exposed to Zidovudine In Utero and Postpartum to Prevent Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV". This important study was conducted in a collaboration among Duke University Medical Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the National Toxicology Program, and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

AZT (azidothymidine or zidovudine) is part of a pharmaceutical cocktail prescribed to HIV-positive pregnant women as a standard approach to reduce the rate of mother-to-child transmission of the virus. In this capacity, AZT is extremely effective.

Litron's MicroFlow technology, however, reveals an undesirable side effect of the therapy – elevated levels of chromosomal damage in newborns exposed in-utero. Since chromosomal damage is known to be a precursor to cancer, these effects must be carefully considered.

Given the tremendous advantages derived from this treatment, the authors are not suggesting that use of this cocktail be discontinued, but rather that "long-term monitoring of HIV-uninfected AZT-exposed infants is recommended to ensure their continued health.”

Litron's MicroFlow method requires only a few drops of blood. This laser-based technology allows thousands of cells to be analyzed in just seconds, with an efficiency that has not previously been possible. The potential of this method to evaluate other drugs during clinical trials, or even post-market approval, is exemplified by this important study.