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SM Journal of Hepatitis Research and Treatment

Natural History of Vertically Transmitted Hepatitis C Virus

[ ISSN : 2573-3672 ]

Abstract
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Received: 07-Jul-2015

Accepted: 10-Aug-2015

Published: 05-Sep-2015

Research Article | Volume 1 - Issue 1 | Article DOI :

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Mohamud M Sheek-Hussein¹* , Michael W Ross², Nico Nagelkerke¹, Ahmed R Alsuwaidi³, Sayenna Uduman³ and Abdul-Kader Souid³

¹Public Health Institute, United Arab Emirates University, UAE
²School of Public Health, University of Texas, USA
³Department of Pediatrics, United Arab Emirates University, UAE

Corresponding Author:

Mohamud M Sheek-Hussein, Public Health Institute, College of Medicine & Health Sciences, UAE University, PO Box 17666, (Al Ain) UAE, Tel: +97137137456; Fax:+97137672022; Email: msheekhussein@uaeu.ac.ae.

Keywords

HCV; Vertical Transmission; Anti-HCV Antibodies; HCV-RNA; United Arab Emirates

Abstract

Background: Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) is an endemic disease with chronic sequelae that include cirrhosis and liver cancer. Children acquire the disease mainly via the maternal-infant route. This study investigated its prevalence in pregnant women and the natural history of its vertical transmission.

Methods: This prospective study involved 618 randomly selected pregnant women in Al-Ain City (Abu Dhabi, UAE). Participants were screened in the first trimester by second-generation Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assays (ELISA-2). Positive samples were further tested by third-generation ELISA (ELISA-3), third-generation recombinant immunoblot assay for detection of antibodies (anti-HCV), and Reverse Transcriptase-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) to detect HCV-RNA. Infants of mothers with positive anti-HCV antibody or HCV-RNA were followed for several years.

Results: Twenty-five women (4.0%) had positive ELISA-2; of which eleven (1.8%) had positive ELISA-3, nine (1.5%) had positive anti-HCV antibody, and three (0.5%) had positive HCV-RNA. All nine infants of mothers with positive anti-HCV antibody had positive anti-HCV antibody at 1, 6, and 12 months of age. All three infants of mothers with positive HCV-RNA had positive HCV-RNA and elevated Alanine Transaminase (ALT) for several years. All six infants of mothers with negative HCV-RNA had negative HCV-RNA and normal ALT at 1, 6, and 12 months of age.

Conclusion: The prevalence of positive anti-HCV antibody in infants of mothers with positive anti-HCV antibody was 9/9 at 12 months. The prevalence of HCV infection (positive HCV-RNA) among mothers in our region is about 0.5%. The prevalence of positive HCV-RNA in infants of mothers with positive HCV-RNA was 3/3 and of mothers with negative HCV-RNA 0/6 (p=0.012). These results justify long-term monitoring of infants born to mothers with positive anti-HCV or HCV-RNA

Citation

Sheek-Hussein M, Ross MW, Nagelkerke N, Alsuwaidi AR, Uduman S and Souid AK. Natural History of Vertically Transmitted Hepatitis C Virus. SM J Hepat Res Treat. 2015; 1(1): 1004. https://dx.doi.org/10.36876/smjhrt.1004