title: Natural history of perinatal hepatitis C virus infection.
abstract: In order to outline the natural course of perinatal hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, we prospectively followed seven HCV-positive children for a mean period of 65.1 months (range, 26-90 months). Physical examination findings, growth, and bilirubin and immunoglobulin levels were constantly normal. All children were still viremic at last analysis. HCV-RNA was almost constantly detected throughout follow-up, with the exception of the first days of life. All children had initial increases (of variable duration) in alanine aminotransferase values: four children subsequently had normal or borderline values for years, with exacerbation of inflammatory activity in two cases. IgM antibodies to HCV were found in three of the seven patients. Autoantibodies developed in two children. Liver biopsy, performed on five patients, documented different degrees of chronic persistent hepatitis. Thus, recovery from perinatal HCV infection seems unlikely, and chronic hepatitis develops in most infected children, including those with prolonged intervals of remission of inflammatory activity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Turin, Italy.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Palomba
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Manzini
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fiammengo
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Maderni
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Saracco
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Tovo
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000151:congenital / Q000209:etiology / Q000635:transmission*; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D008297:Male; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000209:etiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014766:Viremia / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D000410:Alanine Transaminase