Detection of hepatitis C virus antibodies and specific hepatitis C virus ribonucleic acid sequences in cord bloods from a heterogeneous prenatal population.
OBJECTIVE
Our aim was to quantify the prevalence of at-risk pregnancies for maternal-fetal hepatitis C virus transmission in a heterogeneous prenatal population by detection of both hepatitis C virus-specific antibody and hepatitis C virus ribonucleic acid sequences in cord bloods from their deliveries.


METHODS
An anonymous serosurvey of 1432 consecutive umbilical cord blood samples were analyzed for hepatitis C virus antibodies with a second-generation enzyme immunoassay with all hepatitis C virus antibody-positive samples batched and analyzed for both human immunodeficiency virus antibodies and hepatitis C virus ribonucleic acid sequences by polymerase chain reaction.


RESULTS
Forty-seven of the samples (3.2%) were positive for hepatitis C virus antibodies; seropositivity rates differed significantly by socioeconomic status but not by race. Significantly more of the antibody-positive women underwent cesarean section for delivery (31.9% vs 21.9%, p = 0.03). Three (6.4%) hepatitis C virus antibody-positive samples were also human immunodeficiency virus-antibody positive, whereas nine (19.1%) were hepatitis C virus ribonucleic acid positive.


CONCLUSIONS
As many as 19% of hepatitis C virus antibody-positive women in this study also had hepatitis C virus ribonucleic acid isolated from their delivery cord blood samples, which may indicate an increased risk of vertical hepatitis C virus transmission in those pregnancies. Hepatitis C virus-specific antibody and ribonucleic acid detection may also be markers for other pregnancy complications that result in higher rates of cesarean section for these women.
Silverman
N S
NS
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Snyder
M
M
Hodinka
R L
RL
McGillen
P
P
Knee
G
G
D001483:Base Sequence; D002585:Cesarean Section; D017931:DNA Primers; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology*; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D015143:Philadelphia / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000821:virology; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
D017931:DNA Primers; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D012367:RNA, Viral