Mother-to-infant transmission of hepatitis C virus.
Anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibodies and HCV-RNA were measured in the sera of 22 anti-HCV positive, HIV-1 negative mothers and their infants. ELISA and RIBA II were used for anti-HCV determination. HCV-RNA was measured by a nested polymerase chain reaction. HCV-RNA was found in 12 of 22 mothers. All 22 children were followed for 12 months. All were anti-HCV positive by the fourth month; 18 became anti-HCV negative between the 8th and 12th month. HCV-RNA was detected in 5 of 22 infants in the fourth month. They remained HCV-RNA positive. All children born to HCV-RNA negative mothers were HCV-RNA negative while 5 of 12 babies born to HCV-RNA positive mothers were infected. All five infected babies were born to mothers infected through transfusions or drug use. ALT levels in mothers seemed to have no effect on mother-to-infant transmission. Hence evidence for perinatal transmission of HCV from HCV-RNA positive mothers was demonstrated in the present study.
Resti
M
M
Department of Pediatrics, University of Florence, Italy.
Azzari
C
C
Lega
L
L
Rossi
M E
ME
Zammarchi
E
E
Novembre
E
E
Vierucci
A
A
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001483:Base Sequence; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000635:transmission*; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D013997:Time Factors
D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral