Lack of mother-to-newborn transmission of hepatitis C virus in Iraqi women: a prospective study with hepatitis C virus RNA testing

ABSTRACT

The risk of mother to infant transmission of hepatitis C virus varies according to the population studied and the testing used. Patients and In this study, the polymerase chain reaction was employed for the first time in Iraqi research in a prospective study to assess the risk of vertical transmission in an unselected population of Iraqi pregnant women. Hepatitis C antibodies [Abs] were sought with third generation enzyme immunoassay [EIA-3] in 3491 pregnant women. A positive reaction was then confirmed by a third generation immunoblot assay [LiaTek-111]. Positive confirmation occurred in 112 serum samples. The study followed 26 babies of 25 anti-HCV positive mothers at the first month of life. Eight of these babies were followed for 6 months postnatally. All of the neonates were positive for HCV antibodies [EIA-3 and Lia Tek-111] during the first month of life. None were positive at 6 months. Hepatitis C virus RNA was consistently negative in 22 sera [14 infants at 1 month and 8 repeated at 6 months] regardless of the hepatitis C virus polymerase chain reaction status of their mothers, of whom 9 were positive for hepatitis C RNA. The study showed no evidence of vertical transmission of HCV from pregnant Iraqi women to their offspring