title: High rate of maternal-infant transmission of hepatitis G virus in HIV-1 and hepatitis C virus-infected women.
abstract: The prevalence of hepatitis G virus (HGV) infection was investigated in 56 mothers with both human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Thirty-three (58.8%) women had markers of HGV infection, including 7/15 (46.6%) with no history of parenteral exposure to blood. Sixteen (48%) had HGV RNA in serum by a polymerase chain reaction assay, and 17 (52%) had antibody to E2 viral protein. No woman was positive for both markers. Of 20 infants born to the 16 mothers with HGV viremia, 9 (45%, 95% CI 34-56%) acquired the infection. No infected child seroconverted to HGV during the first year of life. At the latest visit (mean: 37.1 mo, range: 9-89 mo) 7 children were still seronegative HGV RNA carriers, 1 was both RNA- and antibody-negative, while 1 RNA-negative child had developed the E2 antibody. Of the 20 HGV-exposed infants, 2 contracted HCV and 1 HIV-1 (all 3 with HGV coinfection). No abnormalities in clinical findings and ALT levels were observed throughout the follow-up period in the six children with HGV infection alone. Our findings show that HGV infection is widespread among HIV-1- and HCV-infected women. Maternal-infant transmission of HGV is common and occurs independently from that of HIV-1 and HCV in women with triple infection. Most perinatally HGV-infected children develop persistent infection with no clinical or biological signs of liver damage, at least in the first years of life.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, University of Turin, Italy.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Palomba
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bairo
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Tovo
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D018067:Flaviviridae; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications*; D015497:HIV-1; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications*; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000150:complications / Q000635:transmission*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious