Spread of hepatitis C virus infection within families. Investigators of an Italian Multicenter Group.
In 1995, the intrafamilial spread of hepatitis C virus (HCV) was evaluated among 1379 household contacts of 585 HCV antibody-positive HCV RNA-positive subjects (index cases) in Italy. All index cases were patients with histologically proven chronic liver disease. The presence of antibodies to HCV (anti-HCV) was assessed by third-generation enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA); the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to test for HCV RNA. The overall anti-HCV prevalence among household contacts of index cases was 7.3% (101/1379); it was 15.6% in spouses and 3.2% in other relatives (P < 0.05; odds ratio (OR), 6.5; 95% confidence interval (CI), 3.5-8.6). Spouses married to index cases for longer than 20 years had a significantly higher anti-HCV prevalence than those married 20 years or less (19.8% vs 8.0%; P< 0.05; OR, 2.8; 95% CI, 1.5-5.3). Parenteral risk factors were more likely to be reported in anti-HCV positive than in anti-HCV negative household contacts. After adjustment for confounders by multiple logistic regression analysis, age greater than 4 5 years (OR, 3.1; 95% CI, 1.6-5.3) and any parenteral exposure (OR, 3.7; 95% CI, 1.7-8.1), were the only independent predictors of the likelihood of anti-HCV positivity among household contacts. Spouses versus other relatives and length of marriage were both no longer associated. These findings suggest that sexual transmission does not seem to play a role in the intrafamilial spread of HCV infection.
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Dipartimento di Internistica Clinica e Sperimentale F. Magrassi, II Università di Napoli, Italy.
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Stroffolini
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D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D018562:Disease Transmission, Infectious; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission*; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010290:Parents; D010375:Pedigree; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015995:Prevalence; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012307:Risk Factors; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission; D018454:Spouses
D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral