title: Increased vertical transmission of human immunodeficiency virus from hepatitis C virus-coinfected mothers. Women and Infants Transmission Study.
abstract: To determine if hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection affects vertical transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), 487 HIV-infected pregnant women in the prospective, multicenter, Women and Infants Transmission Study had HCV antibody (anti-HCV by second-generation ELISA) and HCV RNA (by quantitative polymerase chain reaction) measured in peripartum maternal plasma; 161 (33%) were anti-HCV-positive. HIV vertical transmission occurred from 42 HCV-infected mothers (26.1%) versus 53 HCV-uninfected mothers (16.3%; odds radio [OR], 1.82; P = .01). In a logistic regression model that included maternal drug use, a potential confounder, HCV infection was marginally associated with perinatal HIV transmission (OR, 1.64; P = .05), whereas drug use was not. Women who transmitted HIV had higher levels of HCV RNA (median, 721,254 copies/mL) than those who did not (337,561 copies/mL; P = .01). Maternal HCV infection is associated with increased HIV vertical transmission. Further studies are needed to ascertain if HCV directly affects perinatal HIV transmission or is a marker for another factor, such as maternal drug use.
authors.affiliation: University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health and College of Medicine, 60612, USA.
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Hershow
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Riester
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lew
authors.forename: T C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Quinn
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Mofenson
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Davenny
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Landesman
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cotton
authors.forename: I C
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Hanson
authors.forename: G V
authors.initials: GV
authors.lastname: Hillyer
authors.forename: H B
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Thomas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000635:transmission*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000821:virology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D012307:Risk Factors; D015215:Zidovudine / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D015483:HIV Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral; D015215:Zidovudine