OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical, biochemical, and virologic features associated with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection acquired early in life from mothers with antibodies to HCV (anti-HCV). STUDY DESIGN: Multicenter prospective-retrospective study in Italian children. PATIENTS: Two groups of children were investigated. Group 1 included 14 infants, born to mothers with anti-HCV but without human immunodeficiency virus infection, who became seropositive for HCV RNA during the first year of life and were thus considered infected. Group 2 included 16 children with chronic hepatitis C, aged 1 1/2 to 14 years, whose mothers were the unique potential source of infection. Both groups were followed for 12 to 48 months. METHODS: Alanine transaminase (ALT), anti-HCV, and HCV RNA were investigated by the polymerase chain reaction on entry to the study and during follow-up. RESULTS: All children in group 1 had anti-HCV throughout follow-up, and all had ALT abnormalities, ranging from 1.5 to 10.5 times the normal value during the first 12 months. During further follow-up, 5 of 10 children had HCV RNA with abnormal ALT values, 3 had a return to normal of the ALT values but continued to have viremia, and 2 eventually had normal ALT values and clearance of HCV RNA. Of the 16 children in group 2, all were free of symptoms and 62% had only slight ALT elevations; 7 who underwent liver biopsy had histologic features of minimal or moderate hepatitis. CONCLUSIONS: HCV infection acquired early in life from mothers with anti-HCV is usually associated with biochemical features of liver damage during the first 12 months of life. Progression to chronicity seems to occur in the majority of cases, although HCV-associated liver disease is likely to be mild throughout infancy and childhood.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical, biochemical, and virologic features associated with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection acquired early in life from mothers with antibodies to HCV (anti-HCV). STUDY DESIGN: Multicenter prospective-retrospective study in Italian children. PATIENTS: Two groups of children were investigated. Group 1 included 14 infants, born to mothers with anti-HCV but without human immunodeficiency virus infection, who became seropositive for HCV RNA during the first year of life and were thus considered infected. Group 2 included 16 children with chronic hepatitis C, aged 1 1/2 to 14 years, whose mothers were the unique potential source of infection. Both groups were followed for 12 to 48 months. METHODS: Alanine transaminase (ALT), anti-HCV, and HCV RNA were investigated by the polymerase chain reaction on entry to the study and during follow-up. RESULTS: All children in group 1 had anti-HCV throughout follow-up, and all had ALT abnormalities, ranging from 1.5 to 10.5 times the normal value during the first 12 months. During further follow-up, 5 of 10 children had HCV RNA with abnormal ALT values, 3 had a return to normal of the ALT values but continued to have viremia, and 2 eventually had normal ALT values and clearance of HCV RNA. Of the 16 children in group 2, all were free of symptoms and 62% had only slight ALT elevations; 7 who underwent liver biopsy had histologic features of minimal or moderate hepatitis. CONCLUSIONS:HCVinfection acquired early in life from mothers with anti-HCV is usually associated with biochemical features of liver damage during the first 12 months of life. Progression to chronicity seems to occur in the majority of cases, although HCV-associated liver disease is likely to be mild throughout infancy and childhood.
Authors: D M Gibb; P E Neave; P A Tookey; M Ramsay; H Harris; K Balogun; D Goldberg; G Mieli-Vergani; D Kelly Journal: Arch Dis Child Date: 2000-04 Impact factor: 3.791
Authors: Fazal A Danish; Salman S Koul; Fazal R Subhani; Ahmed E Rabbani; Saeeda Yasmin Journal: Saudi J Gastroenterol Date: 2010 Jul-Sep Impact factor: 2.485