title: Mother-to-infant transmission of hepatitis C virus. Lombardy Study Group on Vertical HCV Transmission.
abstract: To assess the risk of mother-to-infant transmission of hepatitis C virus (HCV), we followed up 116 babies of anti-HCV positive mothers, of whom 22 were coinfected with HIV and 94 had HCV alone. None of the babies whose mothers had HCV alone acquired HCV, while 8 babies (36%; p < 0.001) of mothers co-infected with HIV acquired HCV (5 babies) or HCV and HIV (3). There was no association between any specific maternal HCV genotype and enhanced risk of neonatal infection. HCV-RNA levels were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in mothers with HIV coinfection than in those with HCV alone. These data indicate that maternal HIV status correlates with enhanced level of viraemia which favours neonatal infection.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Virology, University of Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Zanetti
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tanzi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Paccagnini
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Principi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pizzocolo
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Caccamo
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: D'Amico
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cambiè
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vecchi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001942:Breast Feeding; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000635:transmission; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000635:transmission*; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical
chemical_list: D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies