PERINATAL TRANSMISSION OF HEPATITIS-C VIRUS FROM HUMAN-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-VIRUS TYPE 1-INFECTED MOTHERS

Antepartum plasma hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA was quantified in 155 mo thers coinfected with HCV and human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV -1), and HCV RNA was serially assessed in their infants. Of 155 single ton infants born to HCV antibody-positive mothers, 13 (8.4%) were HCV infected. The risk of HCV infection was 3.2-fold greater in HIV-l-infe cted infants compared with HIV-1-uninfected infants (17.1% of 41 vs. 5 .4% of 112, P = .04). The median concentration of plasma HCV RNA was h igher among the 13 mothers with HCV-infected infants (2.0 x 10(6) copi es/mL) than among the 142 mothers with HCV-negative infants (3.5 x 10( 5) copies/mL; P < .001), and there were no instances of HCV transmissi on from 40 mothers with HCV RNA concentrations of <10(5) copies/mL. Wo men dually infected with HIV-I and HCV but with little or no detectabl e HCV RNA should be reassured that the risk of perinatal transmission of HCV is exceedingly low.