title: Antibody-negative chronic hepatitis C virus infection in immunocompetent children.
abstract: Antibody-negative hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, defined by the presence of HCV viremia in the absence of a serologic response to HCV, was detected in two immunocompetent and symptom-free children; each had a history of exposure to blood products. HCV infection may occasionally explain cryptogenic elevation of aminotransferases, even in the absence of serum anti-HCV. HCV-RNA should be investigated in these cases, particularly in the presence of previous exposure to blood products.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Medicina della Procreazione della Età Evolutiva, Università degli Studi La Sapienza, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Maggiore
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Caprai
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cerino
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Silini
authors.forename: M U
authors.initials: MU
authors.lastname: Mondelli
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology*; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007116:Immunization, Passive; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007121:Immunocompetence; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014766:Viremia / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology
chemical_list: D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D000410:Alanine Transaminase