Prospective study of mother-to-infant transmission of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Study Group for Vertical Transmission

J Med Virol. 1998 Jan;54(1):12-9.

Abstract

Seventy-five women with anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibody were enrolled prospectively during pregnancy or at delivery for study of mother-to-child transmission of HCV. Twenty-three women were coinfected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Seventy babies were monitored for at least 6 months. HCV infection was diagnosed in six infants (8.6%), four of whom were born to anti-HIV-positive mothers. HCV RNA was first detected between 2 and 6 months, and the genotypes of infected babies matched those of their mothers (type 1: n = 4; type 3: n = 2). Identical master sequences of the hypervariable region (HVR1) were detected in a mother-infant pair. In three babies coinfected with HCV and HIV, anti-HCV disappeared between 2 and 7 months, being persistently negative in two cases monitored for 11 and 26 months. Transmitting mothers did not differ significantly from those who did not transmit the infection with anti-HIV, HCV genotypes, and viral load at delivery, but had lower rate of reactivity to C100 by the recombinant immunoblot assay (RIBA) (P < .01). This prospective study confirms transmission of HCV from anti-HIV-negative mothers (4.4% in this series). Absence of anti-C100 antibodies at delivery is apparently related to increased risk of vertical transmission. Seronegative HCV infection can be observed in children coinfected with HIV.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Antigens, Viral / analysis
  • Base Sequence
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
  • Female
  • HIV Antibodies / blood
  • HIV Seropositivity / complications
  • Hepacivirus / isolation & purification
  • Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / blood
  • Hepatitis C / complications
  • Hepatitis C / immunology
  • Hepatitis C / transmission*
  • Hepatitis C Antibodies / blood*
  • Humans
  • Immunoblotting
  • Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical*
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Pregnancy
  • Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / virology*
  • Prospective Studies
  • Risk Factors
  • Sequence Analysis
  • Time Factors

Substances

  • Antigens, Viral
  • HIV Antibodies
  • Hepatitis B Surface Antigens
  • Hepatitis C Antibodies