Hepatitis C virus infection and related liver disease in children of mothers with antibodies to the virus.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the clinical, biochemical, and virologic features associated with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection acquired early in life from mothers with antibodies to HCV (anti-HCV).


METHODS
Multicenter prospective-retrospective study in Italian children.


METHODS
Two groups of children were investigated. Group 1 included 14 infants, born to mothers with anti-HCV but without human immunodeficiency virus infection, who became seropositive for HCV RNA during the first year of life and were thus considered infected. Group 2 included 16 children with chronic hepatitis C, aged 1 1/2 to 14 years, whose mothers were the unique potential source of infection. Both groups were followed for 12 to 48 months.


METHODS
Alanine transaminase (ALT), anti-HCV, and HCV RNA were investigated by the polymerase chain reaction on entry to the study and during follow-up.


RESULTS
All children in group 1 had anti-HCV throughout follow-up, and all had ALT abnormalities, ranging from 1.5 to 10.5 times the normal value during the first 12 months. During further follow-up, 5 of 10 children had HCV RNA with abnormal ALT values, 3 had a return to normal of the ALT values but continued to have viremia, and 2 eventually had normal ALT values and clearance of HCV RNA. Of the 16 children in group 2, all were free of symptoms and 62% had only slight ALT elevations; 7 who underwent liver biopsy had histologic features of minimal or moderate hepatitis.


CONCLUSIONS
HCV infection acquired early in life from mothers with anti-HCV is usually associated with biochemical features of liver damage during the first 12 months of life. Progression to chronicity seems to occur in the majority of cases, although HCV-associated liver disease is likely to be mild throughout infancy and childhood.
Bortolotti
F
F
Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Padua, Italy.
Resti
M
M
Giacchino
R
R
Azzari
C
C
Gussetti
N
N
Crivellaro
C
C
Barbera
C
C
Mannelli
F
F
Zancan
L
L
Bertolini
A
A
D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000906:Antibodies / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000150:complications; D006505:Hepatitis / Q000209:etiology*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012367:RNA, Viral; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D000906:Antibodies; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D012367:RNA, Viral; D000410:Alanine Transaminase