Transient transmission of hepatitis C virus from mothers to newborns.

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Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 2000 Apr;19(4):267-74

Transient transmission of hepatitis C virus from

mothers to newborns.

Ketzinel-Gilad M, Colodner SL, Hadary R, Granot E,

Shouval D, Galun E

Liver Unit, Hadassah University Hospital, Ein Kerem,

Jerusalem, Israel.

[Medline record in process]

A study was performed in Israel to determine the rate

of

mother-to-infant

HCV transmission in newborns at risk. A group of 22

HCV-infected

mothers and

their 23 newborns were followed up from early after

birth by testing

their

serum for the presence of HCV antibodies and HCV-RNA.

Antibody against

HCV

was detected in the blood of all newborns immediately

after birth, but

dropped to low or undetectable levels by 7 months of

age. HCV-RNA was

detected 2 days after birth in the blood of five

infants (22%) but fell

to

undetectable levels by 6 months. HCV-HVR1 sequence

analysis performed

in one

mother-infant pair on the second day after birth

revealed two

nucleotide

changes. Two months later the same sequence was

detected again in the

HVR1,

suggesting a very low replication rate. Thus, the

study showed that

vertically transmitted HCV was eliminated in all

newborn infants by 6

months

after delivery, with concomitant disappearance of HCV

antibodies. The

mechanism of HCV elimination in newborns at risk

remains to be

elucidated.

PMID: 10834815, UI: 20292667

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