SEN virus co-infection among HCV-RNA-positive mothers, risk of transmission to the offspring and outcome of child infection during a 1-year follow-up.
SEN is a newly discovered blood-transmissible virus. Among its variants, SENV-D and -H are most often associated with non-A, -E hepatitis. Very little is known about the risk of vertical transmission of the virus. By using polymerase chain reaction with specific primers for SENV-D and -H, we investigated the prevalence of SENV-H and -D infection, the transmission rate of SENV infection and clinical features of SENV-infected children in 89 hepatitis C virus (HCV)-positive human immunodeficiency virus type 1-negative mothers. SENV infection was found in 36 (40%) mothers, and SENV-D was more frequent than SENV-H infection (34/36, 94%vs 5/36, 14%, P < 0.01). No difference in SENV infection rates was found between injection drug user (IDU) mothers (17/51, 33%) and mothers with no risk for bloodborne infection (19/38, 50%, P = ns). SENV-H infection was found only in IDU mothers and mothers with HCV genotype1b. Both SENV-D and -H can be transmitted to the offspring with an overall rate of 47%. Vertical transmission of HCV does not facilitate SENV infection of the offspring. Among 17 SENV-infected children, none was co-infected with HCV. Maternal HCV genotype or viral load does not interfere with mother-to-infant transmission of SENV. Persistence of SENV infection was demonstrated in 100% of infected children after 1-year follow-up, but none had clinical evidence of liver disease.
Moriondo
M
M
Department of Paediatrics, University of Florence, Italy and Paediatric Hospital Anna Meyer, Florence, Italy.
Resti
M
M
Betti
L
L
Indolfi
G
G
Poggi
G M
GM
de Martino
M
M
Vierucci
A
A
Azzari
C
C
D002648:Child; D004266:DNA Virus Infections / Q000145:classification / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000097:blood / Q000145:classification / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D009035:Mothers; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011247:Pregnancy; D015995:Prevalence; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D013997:Time Factors; D022783:Torque teno virus; D019562:Viral Load
D012367:RNA, Viral