PREVALENCE OF ANTI-HCV AMONG SPOUSES AND OFFSPRING OF ANTI-HCV POSITIVE SUBJECTS - AN ITALIAN MULTICENTER STUDY

The role of familial environment in the spreading of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is not well established. We studied 1670 family membe rs for 578 anti-HCV+ subjects enrolled in 8 centres distributed throug hout Italy. The prevalence of anti-HCV positivity was significantly hi gher in spouses than in offspring (15.6% and 2.1% respectively; p< 0.0 1), with no difference between northern and central-southern regions o f Italy. Anti-HCV positivity was found almost exclusively in adults; a mong offspring, during the first two decades of life, the prevalence o f anti-HCV positivity was significantly lower than in subjects over 20 years old (0.6% vs 3.1%, respectively).