Transient transmission of hepatitis C virus from mothers to newborns.
A study was performed in Israel to determine the rate of mother-to-infant HCV transmission in newborns at risk. A group of 22 HCV-infected mothers and their 23 newborns were followed up from early after birth by testing their serum for the presence of HCV antibodies and HCV-RNA. Antibody against HCV was detected in the blood of all newborns immediately after birth, but dropped to low or undetectable levels by 7 months of age. HCV-RNA was detected 2 days after birth in the blood of five infants (22%) but fell to undetectable levels by 6 months. HCV-HVR1 sequence analysis performed in one mother-infant pair on the second day after birth revealed two nucleotide changes. Two months later the same sequence was detected again in the HVR1, suggesting a very low replication rate. Thus, the study showed that vertically transmitted HCV was eliminated in all newborn infants by 6 months after delivery, with concomitant disappearance of HCV antibodies. The mechanism of HCV elimination in newborns at risk remains to be elucidated.
Ketzinel-Gilad
M
M
Liver Unit, Hadassah University Hospital, Ein Kerem, Jerusalem, Israel.
Colodner
S L
SL
Hadary
R
R
Granot
E
E
Shouval
D
D
Galun
E
E
D000328:Adult; D001483:Base Sequence; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology*; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000821:virology*; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013997:Time Factors; D019562:Viral Load; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics
D018076:DNA, Complementary; C400562:HVR1 protein, Hepatitis C virus; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral; D014764:Viral Proteins