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Post‐partum acute exacerbation of chronic hepatitis in a hepatitis C‐carrier mother
Author(s) -
Chen JinDe,
Chung JingLiang,
Kao JiaHorng,
Chen DingShinn
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
journal of gastroenterology and hepatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.214
H-Index - 130
eISSN - 1440-1746
pISSN - 0815-9319
DOI - 10.1046/j.1440-1746.2001.02502.x
Subject(s) - medicine , exacerbation , pregnancy , hepatitis c virus , hepatitis , immunology , hepatitis c , virus , biology , genetics
Hepatitis C virus infection is a global health problem; however, the interaction between pregnancy and chronic hepatitis C remains controversial. A Taiwanese woman with chronic hepatitis C had an uncomplicated pregnancy and gave birth to a female baby through spontaneous vaginal delivery. The serum levels of alanine aminotransferase and hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA were measured before pregnancy, in the first and third trimesters, 1 and 3 months after delivery, respectively. During her pregnancy, the serum aminotransferase levels became normalized, while the serum HCV‐RNA levels declined significantly and consecutively with the lowest viral load in the third trimester. One month after delivery, she had an abrupt elevation of serum HCV‐RNA level, paralleling a hepatitis flare with serum aminotransferase level more than 20‐fold the upper normal limit. The serum HCV‐RNA levels declined thereafter, and serum aminotransferase levels became normalized 3 months postdelivery. She was infected with HCV genotype 1a throughout the entire follow‐up period, and other causes of hepatitis flare were excluded. In conclusion, post‐partum acute exacerbation of chronic hepatitis may occur in HCV‐carrier mothers, and an abrupt elevation of serum HCV‐RNA level may be associated with the acute exacerbation.