Izvorni znanstveni članak
Prospective Study of Prevalence and Risk Factors for Hepatitis C in Pregnant Egyptian Women and Its Transmission to Their Infants
Khaled AbdulQawi
; Pediatrics Department, Benha University, Benha, Egypt
Ahmed Youssef
; Gynecology and Obstetrics Department, Benha University, Benha, Egypt
Mohamed A Metwally
; Hepatology, Gastroenterology, and Infectious Diseases Department, Benha University, Benha, Egypt
Ibrahim Ragih
; Clinical Pathology Department, Benha University, Benha, Egypt
Mohamed AbdulHamid
; National Hepatology and Tropical Medicine Research Institute, Cairo, Egypt
AbdulAziz Shaheen
; National Hepatology and Tropical Medicine Research Institute, Cairo, Egypt
Sažetak
Aim To estimate the hepatitis C virus (HCV) vertical transmission
rate, the effect of potential risk factors, and the pattern
of HCV antibody response and viremia in HCV-infected
infants in Benha, Egypt.
Methods A total of 1224 pregnant women who were
treated at Benha University Hospital, Egypt, were included
in the study. They completed a questionnaire about risk
factors for HCV acquisition and suspected risk factors for
mother-to-infant transmission and were tested for HCV antibody
using a third-generation ELISA test. Women positive
for HCV antibody were tested for HCV RNA by polymerase
chain reaction. Peripheral blood of infants of positive HCVRNA
women was tested for HCV antibody and HCV-RNA at
1 and after 6 months of age.
Results Out of 1224 pregnant women, 105 (8.6%; 95%
confidence interval, 7.05-10.17) were positive for HCV antibody.
Only 83 (6.8%; 5.39-7.21) were positive for HCV-RNA.
HCV infection was associated with older age (1.16; 1.1-1.2,
P = 0.001), blood transfusion (2.69; 1.2-6.0, P = 0.016), and
HCV infection of the husband (5.47; 1.4-21, P = 0.014) or
other household members (2.29; 1.2-4.6, P = 0.019). Out of
53 infants tested at first month, 43 (81%; 71-92%) were positive
for HCV antibody, but only 7 (13%; 4.1-22%) were positive
for HCV-RNA. After 6 months, only 2 (3.8%; 0-8.95%)
remained positive for HCV RNA.
Conclusions The prevalence of HCV in pregnant women
in Egypt is lower than previously reported and the potential
risk factors associated with HCV infection suggest intra-
familial transmission. The frequency of vertical transmission
of HCV in Egypt is not substantially different from
other countries and does not play a role in the high prevalence
of HCV in Egypt.
Ključne riječi
Egypt; Hepatitis C; Vertical Transmission; Infants
Hrčak ID:
55658
URI
Datum izdavanja:
15.6.2010.
Posjeta: 1.317 *