Objective To assess the effectiveness and safety of combination therapy of zidovudine and lamivudine (ZDV+3TC) for preventing mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV. Methods A systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was conducted using the methodology of The Cochrane Collaboration. PUBMED, EMBASE, CINAHL, AIDSearch, AIDSLINE, AIDSTRIALS, The Cochrane Library (Issue 2, 2007), AIDSDRUGS, AIDSinfo, CRD (Center of Review and Dissemination) databases and three Chinese Databases (CBM, CNKI, VIP) were searched from their establishment to 31 May 2007. We also searched documents of governmental and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and the proceedings of relevant conferences, including the International AIDS Conferences, and the annual Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections. RCTs assessing the effects of ZDV+3TC for preventing MTCT were included. Trial selection, quality assessment and data extraction were done by two reviewers independently. Different opinions were resolved by discussion with a third party. Meta-analyses were conducted using The Cochrane Collaboration’s RevMan 4.2.9 software. Results Three studies in breastfeeding populations were included. One trial (PETRA, 1797 participants) found that ZDV+3TC decreased the risk of transmission by 35%-65% within 15 months compared with placebo. However, there was no evidence that ultra-short course ZDV+3TC (during labor) decreased the risk of transmission, compared with placebo. The safety of different courses of ZDV+3TC and placebo were similar (Pgt;0.05). Another trial (SAINT, 1317 participants) found that short course ZDV+3TC (from 36weeks gestation to labor) did not significantly reduce HIV infection among children at 8 weeks after delivery, when compared with single dose nevirapine given to the mother and the infant (Pgt;0.05). No significant difference was found in the maternal and infants mortality and side effects of two groups. One small trial (Moodley1998, 20 participants) found no infant infection in both ZDV+3TC and 3TC alone within 2 weeks after birth. Conclusions Long course (from 36 weeks gestation to 1 week after delivery) and short course (from 36 weeks gestation to labor) ZDV+3TC were more effective than placebo in preventing MTCT of HIV in breastfeeding women with a similar safety profile. Short course ZDV + 3TC had similar effects to single dose nevirapine, and long course ZDV + 3TC had similar effects to lamivudine alone.
