Total antioxidant potential and essential trace metals in the breast milk and plasma of Nigerian human immunodeficiency virus‑infected lactating mothers

Background: the effect of human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) on the immune system is well documented however; its impact on the nutritional and immunological qualities of the breast milk is scarce. aim: levels of some essential trace metals, albumin and antioxidant status in the plasma and breast milk of nigerian hiv‑infected lactating mothers were determined. materials and methods: essential trace metals and total antioxidant potential were measured using spectrophotometric method while albumin was measured using single radial immunodiffusion technique. results: only the mean plasma level of albumin in hiv infected lactating mothers (him) was significantly reduced when compared with hiv free lactating mothers (hfm) [9.39 (4.46) g/l vs 26.18 (18.43) g/l, p=0.000], others had no significant difference. the mean breast milk levels of total antioxidant potential (1776.82(564.26) μmolte/l vs. 2384.67 (679.00) μmolte/l, p = 0.0000), cu [67.68 (5.04) μg/dl vs. 71.10 (5.45) μg/dl, p = 0.033] and fe [66.21 (6.31) μg/dl vs. 71.20 (6.48) μg/dl, p = 0.011] were significantly reduced in him compared with hfm. no significant differences were observed in other parameters. conclusion: it could be concluded from this study that hypoalbuminemia is a feature of hiv‑infected lactating mothers and that breast milk of him has low antioxidant capacity.