Perinatal transmission of hepatitis C virus from human immunodeficiency virus type 1-infected mothers. Women and Infants Transmission Study.
Antepartum plasma hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA was quantified in 155 mothers coinfected with HCV and human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), and HCV RNA was serially assessed in their infants. Of 155 singleton infants born to HCV antibody-positive mothers, 13 (8.4%) were HCV infected. The risk of HCV infection was 3.2-fold greater in HIV-1-infected infants compared with HIV-1-uninfected infants (17.1% of 41 vs. 5.4% of 112, P = .04). The median concentration of plasma HCV RNA was higher among the 13 mothers with HCV-infected infants (2.0 x 10(6) copies/mL) than among the 142 mothers with HCV-negative infants (3.5 x 10(5) copies/mL; P < .001), and there were no instances of HCV transmission from 40 mothers with HCV RNA concentrations of < 10(5) copies/mL. Women dually infected with HIV-1 and HCV but with little or no detectable HCV RNA should be reassured that the risk of perinatal transmission of HCV is exceedingly low.
Thomas
D L
DL
Division of Infectious Diseases, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA.
Villano
S A
SA
Riester
K A
KA
Hershow
R
R
Mofenson
L M
LM
Landesman
S H
SH
Hollinger
F B
FB
Davenny
K
K
Riley
L
L
Diaz
C
C
Tang
H B
HB
Quinn
T C
TC
D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications*; D015497:HIV-1; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D017423:Sequence Analysis, RNA
D012367:RNA, Viral