Sexual transmission of HCV between spouses.
OBJECTIVE
The sexual transmission of hepatitis C virus (HCV) is debated. By excluding other risk factors, the role of sexual intercourse in the transmission could be detected more accurately. We screened HCV prevalence and risk factors in the spouses of chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients and followed the seroconversion rate of anti-HCV negative spouses.


METHODS
Six hundred spouses of CHC patients were recruited. The spouses' HCV risk factors were questioned and the spouses were tested for anti-HCV. The 216 spouses who were anti-HCV negative were checked annually for anti-HCV.


RESULTS
Anti-HCV was positive in 12 of 600 (2%) of the spouses. Of the 12 anti-HCV positive spouses, 11 were HCV-RNA positive. Of anti-HCV positive and negative spouse groups, mean age was 52.3 +/- 9.8 and 49.8 +/- 12.4 yr; duration of marriage was 1521 +/- 506.7 and 1532.4 +/- 670.2 wk (p > 0.05); and the number of total sexual intercourse was 434 +/- 295 and 307 +/- 333 (p= 0.055), respectively. In our prospective study, none of the spouses developed anti-HCV seroconversion in mean 35.7 +/- 6.3 months and 257.9 +/- 72.2 sexual intercourse.


CONCLUSIONS
Anti-HCV was found positive in 2% of the spouses. None of the seronegative spouses developed seroconversion in the 3-yr follow-up period. This is the first study that stresses the importance of the total number of sexual intercourse in sexual transmission (p= 0.055). Our results of special monogamous group with very limited risk factors support the role of number of total sexual intercourse in HCV transmission. However, the seroprevalence rate of the spouses was still within the upper limit of our country population.
Tahan
Veysel
V
Marmara University School of Medicine, Department of Gastroenterology Altunizade, Istanbul, Turkey.
Karaca
Cetin
C
Yildirim
Beytullah
B
Bozbas
Aysun
A
Ozaras
Resat
R
Demir
Kadir
K
Avsar
Erol
E
Mert
Ali
A
Besisik
Fatih
F
Kaymakoglu
Sabahattin
S
Senturk
Hakan
H
Cakaloglu
Yilmaz
Y
Kalayci
Cem
C
Okten
Atilla
A
Tozun
Nurdan
N
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003075:Coitus; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000635:transmission*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012306:Risk; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000635:transmission*; D018454:Spouses; D014421:Turkey
D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral