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Hepatitis C virus RNA present in saliva but absent in breast‐milk of the hepatitis C carrier mother
Author(s) -
KAGE MASAYOSHI,
OGASAWARA SACHIKO,
KOSAI KENICHIRO,
NAKASHIMA EISUKE,
SHIMAMATSU KAZUHIDE,
KOJIRO MASAMICHI,
KIMURA AKIHIKO,
FUJISAWA TAKUJI,
MATSUKUMA YOSHINORI,
ITO YUJI,
KONDO SHIGENOBU,
KAWANO KATSUICHI,
SATA MICHIO
Publication year - 1997
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 - 10.1111/j.1440-1746.1997.tb00476.x
Subject(s) - saliva , breast milk , medicine , hepatitis c virus , transmission (telecommunications) , breast feeding , virus , virology , rna , immunology , biology , pediatrics , biochemistry , gene , electrical engineering , engineering
In order to examine whether saliva and breast‐milk are mediators of the vertical transmission of hepatitis C virus (HCV) from an HCV carrier mother, serum, saliva, and breast‐milk samples from 11 HCV carrier mothers were collected at the time of delivery, and at approximately 1‐ to 3‐month intervals for as long as 30 months postpartum. Serum was also sampled from their children. All samples were analysed for the presence of HCV RNA, using the nested polymerase chain reaction method. No HCV RNA was detected in any breast‐milk samples. In saliva, HCV RNA was detected in four of the 11 mothers (36%). These four mothers also had liver function abnormalities. Hepatitis C virus RNA was not detected in any serum samples of the children, and all children had normal liver function. The children were monitored for periods from 2 to 44 months. During this period, there was no evidence of virus transmission. Breast‐milk is not likely to be a source of mother‐to‐child transmission of HCV. Maternal saliva may harbour HCV, but it may not result in infant infection.