title: Transmission of hepatitis C virus from mothers to infants. The Vertical Transmission of Hepatitis C Virus Collaborative Study Group.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although there are case reports of vertical transmission of hepatitis C virus (HCV), it remains uncertain to what extent infected mothers transmit this virus to their infants.
  
  
  METHODS
  We investigated the transmission of HCV from infected mothers to their babies by analyzing HCV RNA in the blood. Three independent studies were performed. First, 7698 parturient women were tested for anti-HCV antibodies; 53 were positive. Their 54 infants (including one set of twins) were followed prospectively for at least six months and tested for HCV disease were prospectively studied. Third, the families of three HCV-infected infants were examined retrospectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 53 antibody-positive mothers, 31 were also positive for serum HCV RNA: Three of the 54 babies born to these mothers (5.6 percent) became positive for HCV RNA during the follow-up period. None of the babies of the 22 women who were antibody-positive but HCV RNA-negative became positive for HCV RNA: In the second study, HCV RNA was detected in one of the six infants of infected mothers. In the third study, HCV RNA was detected in the mothers of the three HCV-infected infants. In each of the seven infected infants we studied, the genomic sequence of HCV was almost identical to that from the mother. These seven mothers had significantly higher titers of HCV RNA than did the mothers of infants with no evidence of infection (mean [+/- SD], 10(6.4 +/- 0.5) vs. 10(4.4 +/- 1.5) per milliliter; P < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HCV is vertically transmitted from mother to infant, and the risk of transmission is correlated with the titer of HCV RNA in the mother.
authors.affiliation: Blood Transfusion Service, Fukushima Medical College, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ohto
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Terazawa
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sasaki
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sasaki
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hino
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ishiwata
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kako
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ujiie
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Endo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Matsui
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004200:Diseases in Twins; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000635:transmission*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral