title: Mother to infant transmission of coinfection by human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis C virus: prevalence and clinical manifestations.
abstract: The prevalence and the clinical course of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections were studied in 23 HIV-1-infected children, who were born to 22 mothers with HIV-1/HCV coinfection. During the follow-up only two children (8.7%) showed persistent anti-HCV antibodies and circulating HCV RNA. Both children, who were aged 10 and 10.6 years respectively at the end of follow-up, had chronically-evolving liver disease and autoimmune thrombocytopenia but no signs of progressive HIV disease. Based on our experience, vertically-acquired HIV-1/HCV coinfection is less frequent than is generally reported and may be associated with the development of chronic thrombocytopenia in addition to liver disease. Moreover, perinatal HIV-1/HCV coinfection appears to be associated with a slow progression of HIV disease.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Institute, La Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nigro
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: D'Orio
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Catania
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Badolato
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Livadiotti
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bernardi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: D'Argenio
mesh_terms: D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000635:transmission*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015497:HIV-1; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000635:transmission*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies