GB virus C coinfection and vertical transmission in HIV-infected mothers before the introduction of antiretroviral prophylaxis.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the prevalence of GB virus C (GBV-C) viraemia and GBV-C antibodies in a cohort of HIV-infected mothers and their infants between 1987 and 1994.


METHODS
GBV-C viraemia and antibodies were determined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 52 HIV-infected mothers and their 53 infants, who were born before antiretroviral prophylaxis for reduction of HIV transmission was introduced at the end of 1994. Ten of these children acquired HIV.


RESULTS
Mothers of three children had GBV-C viraemia and mothers of another 14 children carried antibodies against GBV-C. No mother had GBV-C antibodies and GBV-C viraemia simultaneously. GBV-C viraemia was detected in only one infant. This child was delivered by the vaginal route to a mother with GBV-C viraemia, and was not HIV-infected. No vertical transmission of GBV-C occurred from mothers with GBV-C antibodies. However, four of 10 children who were infected with HIV had a mother with past or ongoing GBV-C infection.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings suggest that the risk of vertical transmission of GBV-C is not elevated in HIV-infected mothers. Furthermore, although the number of HIV-1-infected children was low, we saw no evidence that the presence of ongoing or past GBV-C infection influenced the probability of vertical HIV transmission.
Barqasho
B
B
Department of Clinical Virology, Karolinska Insitutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
Navér
L
L
Bohlin
A B
AB
Lindgren
S
S
Hultgren
C
C
Birk
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D018178:Flaviviridae Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology / Q000635:transmission*; D029407:GB virus C; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology / Q000635:transmission*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000276:immunology*; D011379:Prognosis; D014766:Viremia / Q000276:immunology
D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents; D000914:Antibodies, Viral