HIV mother-to-child transmission: A complex genetic puzzle tackled by Brazil and Argentina research teams

•HIV mother to child transmission (HIVMTCT) is a multifactorial event.•HIVMTCT depends upon environmental and host genetic factors, as well as viral genetic elements.•Two research groups (from Brazil and Argentina) analyzed the immunogenetic factors associated to HIVMTCT.•Interaction of innate and adaptive immune genetic components seems to be essential in the HIVMTCT outcome.•We envisage the creation of a MTCT consortium aimed at analyzing larger groups of children from different ethnic groups.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) mother-to-child transmission is a complex event, depending upon environmental factors and is affected by host genetic factors from mother and child, as well as viral genetic elements. The integration of multiple parameters (CD4 cell count, virus load, HIV subtype, and host genetic markers) could account for the susceptibility to HIV infection, a multifactorial trait. The goal of this manuscript is to analyze the immunogenetic factors associated to HIV mother-to-child transmission, trying to unravel the genetic puzzle of HIV mother-to-child transmission and considering the experience in this topic of two research groups from Brazil and Argentina.