ABSTRACT
Hepatitis C virus [HCV] is a major cause of chronic liver disease worldwide. The role of intra familial HCV transmission is still controversial. The aim of the present study is to determine intra familial transmission [sexual and non sexual contacts] of HCV in a group of Iranian population. In this historical cohort study, 270 first degree relatives of hepatitis C patients were enrolled as the exposed group and compared to 270 first degree relatives of normal subjects [with negative HCV] as the unexposed group. Antibodies to HCV were detected by commercially available fourth-generation enzyme immunoassay. Positive serum specimens were retested using a second generation recombinant immunoblot assay. Fisher's exact test was used to detect association between the exposure and out come of the study. The mean age of exposed groups was 27.1 +/- 19.8 years and 38.1% were male. The mean age of unexposed group was 29.4 +/- 16.7 years and 51.9% were male. Regarding gender, age, familial relation and condom use, there were not statistically significant differences between exposed and unexposed subjects. Only 2 HCV-infected subjects were detected in the unexposed group, both of whom were intravenous drug users. The frequency of positive HCV antibody among household contacts of two groups was not significantly different [NS]. Our results revealed that house hold contact transmission of HCV is not a significant transmission route and sexual transmission does not seem to play a role in the intra familial spread of HCV infection