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High rate of maternal‐infant transmission of hepatitis G virus in HIV‐1 and hepatitis C virus‐infected women
Author(s) -
Palomba E,
Bairo A,
Tovo PA
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
acta pædiatrica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1651-2227
pISSN - 0803-5253
DOI - 10.1111/j.1651-2227.1999.tb01057.x
Subject(s) - medicine , viremia , coinfection , hepatitis c virus , gb virus c , virology , virus , transmission (telecommunications) , flaviviridae , antibody , immunology , hepatitis , viral disease , hepatitis c , electrical engineering , engineering
The prevalence of hepatitis G virus (HGV) infection was investigated in 56 mothers with both human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV‐1) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Thirty‐three (58.8%) women had markers of HGV infection, including 7/15 (46.6%) with no history of parenteral exposure to blood. Sixteen (48%) had HGV RNA in serum by a polymerase chain reaction assay, and 17 (52%) had antibody to E2 viral protein. No woman was positive for both markers. Of 20 infants born to the 16 mothers with HGV viremia, 9 (45%, 95% CI 34‐56%) acquired the infection. No infected child seroconverted to HGV during the first year of life. At the latest visit (mean: 37.1 mo, range: 9–89 mo) 7 children were still seronegative HGV RNA carriers, 1 was both RNA‐ and antibody‐negative, while 1 RNA‐negative child had developed the E2 antibody. Of the 20 HGV‐exposed infants, 2 contracted HCV and 1 HIV‐1 (all 3 with HGV coinfection). No abnormalities in clinical findings and ALT levels were observed throughout the follow‐up period in the six children with HGV infection alone. Our findings show that HGV infection is widespread among HIV‐1‐ and HCV‐infected women. Maternal‐infant transmission of HGV is common and occurs independently from that of HIV‐1 and HCV in women with triple infection. Most perinatally HGV‐infected children develop persistent infection with no clinical or biological signs of liver damage, at least in the first years of life.