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Lack of mother‐to‐infant transmission of hepatitis C virus in human immunodeficiency virus–seronegative women: A prospective study with hepatitis C virus RNA testing
Author(s) -
RoudotThoraval Françoise,
Pawlotsky JeanMichel,
Thiers Valérie,
Deforges Lionel,
Girollet PierrePaul,
Guillot François,
Huraux Christiane,
Aumont Pascale,
Brechot Christian,
Dhumeaux Daniel
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
hepatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.488
H-Index - 361
eISSN - 1527-3350
pISSN - 0270-9139
DOI - 10.1002/hep.1840170504
Subject(s) - virology , virus , hepatitis c virus , hepatitis a virus , transmission (telecommunications) , medicine , hepatitis virus , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , rna , immunology , biology , gene , biochemistry , electrical engineering , engineering
Abstract The published risk of mother‐to‐infant transmission of hepatitis C virus varies according to the population studied and the tests used. In a prospective study we used the polymerase chain reaction to assess the risk of vertical transmission of hepatitis C virus in an unselected population of women uninfected by human immunodeficiency virus. Hepatitis C virus antibodies were sought with a second‐generation enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay in 2,367 consecutive pregnant women. Forty‐one were positive, and 17 consented to serological follow‐up of their offspring (n = 18). A second‐generation recombinant immunoblot assay, ALT determination and hepatitis C virus RNA testing were performed on maternal sera obtained during pregnancy and sera from the offspring at birth and thereafter. Five older brothers or sisters were also tested. Hepatitis C virus RNA sequences in serum were amplified with a modified nested polymerase chain reaction procedure with primers from the highly conserved 5′ noncoding region of the hepatitis C virus genome. All the neonates were positive for hepatitis C virus antibodies, with enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay titers and recombinant immunoblot assay patterns similar to those of their mothers. After birth hepatitis C virus antibodies gradually disappeared within 6 mo. Hepatitis C virus RNA was consistently negative in the 18 children from birth to 24 mo (range = 3 to 24 mo) and in the 5 older children, regardless of the hepatitis C virus polymerase chain reaction status of the mothers (8 of whom were positive). In conclusion, the lack of vertical transmission of hepatitis C virus in this study suggests that unselected and human immunodeficiency virus‐negative women are at low risk of perinatal transmission of hepatitis C virus, even in the presence of active hepatitis C virus replication. (H EPATOLOGY 1993;17:772–777.)