Temporal profile of hepatitis C virus antibody and genome in infants born to mothers infected with hepatitis C virus but without human immunodeficiency virus coinfection.
To investigate mother-to-infant transmission of hepatitis C virus, serial follow-up of anti-HCV and hepatitis C virus RNA was undertaken in 11 infants born to hepatitis C virus-infected mothers who had been screened from 11,688 pregnant women. None of the hepatitis C virus-infected mothers was infected by human immunodeficiency virus. Anti-HCV was checked by the second-generation enzyme immunoassay kit, and hepatitis C virus RNA was examined by reverse transcriptase-nested polymerase chain reaction. Hepatitis C virus RNA was found in more than two serum samples in two of these 11 infants; those two infants were regarded as hepatitis C virus-infected. One of the two had hepatitis C virus RNA at the age of 1, 3, and 6 months, but not later. The course of hepatitis C virus RNA and anti-HCV in this baby may reflect fluctuating viral replication in chronic infectious disease or viral clearance in acute infection. The other infant had hepatitis C virus RNA detectable at the age of 3 months and at 15, 18 and 24 months. In the other nine non-hepatitis C virus-infected infants, maternally acquired anti-HCV gradually disappeared by the age of 6 months. The liver function profile fell to the normal range in all the infants, including the two hepatitis C virus-infected infants. This may indicate the subclinical nature of hepatitis C virus infection in infancy. Seven fathers and four siblings of these 11 infants were checked for anti-HCV and liver function tests; none had evidence of hepatitis C virus infection.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Ni
Y H
YH
Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, R.O.C.
Lin
H H
HH
Chen
P J
PJ
Hsu
H Y
HY
Chen
D S
DS
Chang
M H
MH
D001483:Base Sequence; D005260:Female; D016679:Genome, Viral; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D015335:Molecular Probes / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000276:immunology*; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D015335:Molecular Probes; D012367:RNA, Viral