HIGH-RATE OF HEPATITIS-C VIRUS TRANSMISSION TO SPOUSES FROM HEPATITISPATIENTS WITH A HISTORY OF TRANSFUSION

Spouses of hepatitis C virus (HCV)-viremic chronic hepatitis patients were tested for antibodies to the core region-derived synthetic oligop eptides and for antibodies detectable by the second-generation enzyme immunoassay, and HCV RNA was determined in those who were positive for at least one of the above antibodies (anti-HCV). The prevalences of a nti-HCV and HCV RNA were both significantly higher in 37 spouses of pa tients with a history of transfusion than in 55 spouses of patients wi th no such history: 49% vs. 16% for anti-HCV (P < 0.01) and 41% vs. 5% for HCV RNA (P < 0.05). Anti-HCV was detected in 11 (65%) of 17 spous es who had been married longer than 30 years since the patients receiv ed the transfusion, with an incidence significantly higher than in fou r (20%) of 20 spouses with exposure durations less than 30 years (P < 0.001), and HCV RNA was positive in 11 (65%) of the formers, the incid ence being significantly greater than in four (20%) of the latter (P < 0.05). HCV-infected patients, in particular with a history of blood t ransfusion, are thus possible HCV transmission sources for their spous es, with the risk increasing with the duration of marriage, pointing t o a need for follow-up not only for posttransfusion hepatitis C patien ts, but also for early diagnosis and treatment of their spouses.