Natural History of Perinatal Hepatitis C Virus Infection

• Published in: Clinical infectious diseases Vol. 23; no. 1; pp. 47 - 50
• Main Authors: Palomba, Elvia, Manzini, Paola, Fiammengo, Paolo, Maderni, Paola, Saracco, Giorgio, Tovo, Pier-Angelo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chicago, IL The University of Chicago Press 01-07-1996; University of Chicago Press
• Subjects: Age Factors; AIDS/HIV; Alanine Transaminase - blood; Antibodies; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Child, Preschool; Children; Clinical Articles; Female; Foster children; Hepacivirus; Hepatitis; Hepatitis C - congenital; Hepatitis C - etiology; Hepatitis C - transmission; Hepatitis C Antibodies - blood; hepatitis C virus; Hepatitis, Chronic - etiology; HIV 1; HIV Infections - complications; Human viral diseases; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Infants; Infections; Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; Infectious diseases; Liver; Male; Maternal-Fetal Exchange; Medical sciences; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious - etiology; Prospective Studies; Retrospective Studies; Risk Factors; Viral diseases; Viral hepatitis; Viremia - etiology; Viruses; Infection; Virus; Fetomaternal; Newborn diseases; Viral disease; Transmission; Perinatal; Digestive diseases; Hepatic disease; Flaviviridae; Hepatitis C virus; Viral hepatitis C
• ISSN: 1058-4838; 1537-6591
• DOI: 10.1093/clinids/23.1.47

In order to outline the natural course of perinatal hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, we prospectively followed seven HCV-positive children for a mean period of 65.1 months (range, 26–90 months). Physical examination findings, growth, and bilirubin and immunoglobulin levels were constantly normal. All children were still viremic at last analysis. HCV-RNA was almost constantly detected throughout follow-up, with the exception of the first days of life. All children had initial increases (of variable duration) in alanine aminotransferase values; four children subsequently had normal or borderline values for years, with exacerbation of inflammatory activity in two cases. IgM antibodies to HCV were found in three of the seven patients. Autoantibodies developed in two children. Liver biopsy, performed on five patients, documented different degrees of chronic persistent hepatitis. Thus, recovery from perinatal HCV infection seems unlikely, and chronic hepatitis develops in most infected children, including those with prolonged intervals of remission of inflammatory activity.