Vertical transmission of hepatitis C virus (HCV) detected by HCV-RNA analysis.
The rate of transmission of hepatitis C virus (HCV) from patients with chronic hepatitis C to their children was studied. Of the 64 children with a parent with chronic hepatitis C, two (3%) had abnormal alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activities, six (9%) had anti-HCV detected by c100 ELISA, seven (11%) had anti-HCV detected by ELISA-II, and 21 (33%) had HCV-RNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Anti-HCV detected by ELISA-II disappeared within six months in all six infants. Of the five children whose mothers were given a blood transfusion after the child's first birthday, none had anti-HCV or HCV-RNA. In the five families whose elder or eldest offspring had HCV-RNA, all of the younger offspring had HCV-RNA. The vertical transmission rate of HCV was low if judged by the presence of anti-HCV or abnormal ALT values, but the rate was high (33%) if judged by the presence of HCV-RNA.
Osaka City University Medical School, Japan.
T
T
Kuroki
S
S
Nishiguchi
K
K
Fukuda
N
N
Ikeoka
R
R
Murata
G
G
Isshiki
S
S
Tomoda
S
S
Ogita
T
T
Monna
K
K
Kobayashi
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002353:Carrier State; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015995:Prevalence; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood
D012367:RNA, Viral