title: Perinatal transmission and manifestation of hepatitis C virus infection in a high risk population.
abstract: We studied the perinatal transmission of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in 70 high risk mother/infant pairs. Seventy-six percent of the mothers (53 of 70) were coinfected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and 79% (55 of 70) had a history of drug addiction. During the follow-up HCV RNA was detected in 14 of 70 (20%) infants: 12% (2 of 17) in infants born to HIV-negative mothers; and 23% (12 of 53) in infants to HIV-positive mothers. The rate of vertical transmission was significantly higher in vaginally delivered infants than in those delivered by cesarean section (32% vs. 6%; P < 0.05). All 56 uninfected infants lost passively acquired anti-HCV by age 9 +/- 4 months and only 2 of 56 infants (4%) had evidence of HIV infection. Four of 14 HCV RNA-positive infants (29%) had evidence of HIV coinfection. We observed 3 clinical patterns of HCV infection: a transient viremia in 2 infants; an acute pattern in 2 infants; and a chronic pattern in 10 infants. All 4 HIV-coinfected infants had chronic HCV infection. All infants with a chronic pattern, had increased alanine aminotransferase values for more than 6 months and 5 had a liver biopsy that showed signs of chronic persistent hepatitis. HCV perinatal transmission was more frequent in infants born to HIV-coinfected mothers than in infants born to HIV-noninfected women, particularly when delivered vaginally.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Department IV, University of Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Paccagnini
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Principi
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Massironi
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tanzi
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Romanò
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Muggiasca
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Ragni
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Salvaggio
mesh_terms: D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral; D000410:Alanine Transaminase