FW: lymph nodes may play an important role in persistence of HCV infection

June 3, 2000

HCV from mothers to newborns: ...all

newborns

>

>>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.

>>

>>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

>>

>

June 3, 2000