[The status and significance of mother-to-infant transmission of hepatitis C virus determined by nested polymerase chain reaction].
The antibodies to hepatitis C virus (HCV) and HCV RNA in sera from 11 mothers and their children born after 9-13 months were detected by several tests. It was shown that the positive rate of anti-HCV in infants was significantly lower by ELISA based on synthetic peptides (23.52%) than by second generation ELISA with recombinant antigens (2nd ELISA) (41.18%) (P<0.05). At birth, six babies were positive for anti-HCV in cord blood and venous blood by 2nd ELISA. Among them, serum anti-HCV disappeared in 5 cases after 1 to 5 months but was persistently detected in one cases. The anti-HCV positive sera from these six babies were tested by recombinant immunoblot assay (RIBA) and shown to be positive in 4 cases and indeterminate in 2 cases. By reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), HCV RNA was found in 5 babies, three of them became negative 1-5 months after birth, two babies were positive with HCV RNA for 9 months and 13 months respectively. These findings suggested that the evaluation of the status of mother-to-infant transmission was limited by the low level of serum anti-HCV in infants, "passive transfer" of anti-HCV from mothers and different method of tests used. HCV RNA detection by RT-PCR is a more reliable marker to demonstrate the mother-to-infant transmission of HCV.
Hao
F
F
Department of Infectious Disease, The First Hospital of Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 630038.
Li
M
M
Thaler
M M
MM
Chen
G
G
D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000276:immunology / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral