Hepatitis C virus infection: other biological fluids than blood may be responsible for intrafamilial spread.
OBJECTIVE
Several epidemiological studies have shown the existence of other routes of transmission of the hepatitis C virus besides the parenteral one, but the mechanisms involved are not yet understood. The general aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection in family contacts of infected patients and to analyze the possible risk factors and alternative transmission routes.


METHODS
One hundred and thirty-eight relatives of 45 patients (index cases) affected by C virus-related chronic hepatitis were studied. The relatives were 45 spouses, 89 children and 4 cohabitants who underwent detection of serum anti-HCV antibodies; the anti-HCV-positive subjects were tested for serum HCV-RNA. The index cases, all the spouses and only other infected relatives were tested for the presence of HCV-RNA in saliva


RESULTS
Antibodies to hepatitis C virus were detected in 5.7% of the family members while 11.1% of the analyzed spouses were serum HCV-RNA-positive. HCV-RNA was found in 44% of the examined saliva and 39% of these were found serum HCV-RNA-negative. The prevalence of hepatitis C virus among household contacts, excluding cases with previous parenteral exposure, was 3.6%.


CONCLUSIONS
The epidemiological data on the intrafamilial spread of hepatitis C virus may be underestimated owing to the existence of infected relatives serum-negative but saliva-positive for the presence of the virus. The whole of these observations suggests a possible role of biological fluids in intrafamilial spread of hepatitis C virus.
Department of Hygiene, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Largo F.Vito, 1-00168 Rome, Italy.
A M
AM
Mastromatteo
G L
GL
Rapaccini
M
M
Pompili
S
S
Ursino
V
V
Romano-Spica
G
G
Gasbarrini
G
G
Vanini
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D012463:Saliva / Q000821:virology*
D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral