Mother-to-child transmission of GB virus C in a cohort of women coinfected with GB virus C and HIV in Bangkok, Thailand.
BACKGROUND
GB virus C (GBV-C) is an apathogenic virus that inhibits human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) replication in vitro. Mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of GBV-C has been observed in multiple small studies. Our study examined the rate and correlates of MTCT of GBV-C in a large cohort of GBV-C-HIV-coinfected pregnant women in Thailand.


METHODS
Maternal delivery plasma specimens from 245 GBV-C-HIV-infected women and specimens from their infants at 4 or 6 months of age were tested for GBV-C RNA. Associations with MTCT of GBV-C were examined using logistic regression.


RESULTS
One hundred one (41%) of 245 infants acquired GBV-C infection. MTCT of GBV-C was independently associated with maternal antiretroviral therapy (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 5.21 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 2.12-12.81]), infant HIV infection (AOR, 0.05 [95% CI, 0.01-0.26]), maternal GBV-C load (8.0 log(10) copies/mL: AOR, 86.77 [95% CI, 15.27-481.70]; 7.0-7.9 log(10) copies/mL: AOR, 45.62 [95% CI, 8.41-247.51]; 5.0-6.9 log(10) copies/mL: AOR, 9.07 [95% CI, 1.85-44.33]: reference, <5 log(10) viral copies/mL), and caesarean delivery (AOR, 0.26 [95% CI, 0.12-0.59]).


CONCLUSIONS
Associations with maternal GBV-C load and mode of delivery suggest transmission during pregnancy and delivery. Despite mode of delivery being a common risk factor for virus transmission, GBV-C and HIV were rarely cotransmitted. The mechanisms by which maternal receipt of antiretroviral therapy might increase MTCT of GBV-C are unknown.
Bhanich Supapol
W
W
Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. supapol@cogeco.ca
Remis
R S
RS
Raboud
J
J
Millson
M
M
Tappero
J
J
Kaul
R
R
Kulkarni
P
P
McConnell
M S
MS
Mock
P A
PA
McNicholl
J M
JM
Vanprapar
N
N
Asavapiriyanont
S
S
Shaffer
N
N
Butera
S
S
D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D018178:Flaviviridae Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology; D029407:GB virus C; D006678:HIV; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications*; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000150:complications / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D011247:Pregnancy; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D013785:Thailand / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
D012367:RNA, Viral