Lack of mother-to-infant transmission of hepatitis C virus in human immunodeficiency virus-seronegative women: a prospective study with hepatitis C virus RNA testing.
The published risk of mother-to-infant transmission of hepatitis C virus varies according to the population studied and the tests used. In a prospective study we used the polymerase chain reaction to assess the risk of vertical transmission of hepatitis C virus in an unselected population of women uninfected by human immunodeficiency virus. Hepatitis C virus antibodies were sought with a second-generation enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 2,367 consecutive pregnant women. Forty-one were positive, and 17 consented to serological follow-up of their offspring (n = 18). A second-generation recombinant immunoblot assay, ALT determination and hepatitis C virus RNA testing were performed on maternal sera obtained during pregnancy and sera from the offspring at birth and thereafter. Five older brothers or sisters were also tested. Hepatitis C virus RNA sequences in serum were amplified with a modified nested polymerase chain reaction procedure with primers from the highly conserved 5' noncoding region of the hepatitis C virus genome. All the neonates were positive for hepatitis C virus antibodies, with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay titers and recombinant immunoblot assay patterns similar to those of their mothers. After birth hepatitis C virus antibodies gradually disappeared within 6 mo. Hepatitis C virus RNA was consistently negative in the 18 children from birth to 24 mo (range = 3 to 24 mo) and in the 5 older children, regardless of the hepatitis C virus polymerase chain reaction status of the mothers (8 of whom were positive).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Roudot-Thoraval
F
F
Département d'Epidémiologie, CHU Henri Mondor, Créteil, France.
Pawlotsky
J M
JM
Thiers
V
V
Deforges
L
L
Girollet
P P
PP
Guillot
F
F
Huraux
C
C
Aumont
P
P
Brechot
C
C
Dhumeaux
D
D
D005260:Female; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000382:microbiology; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000635:transmission*; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*
D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral