Severity of hepatitis C and HIV co-infection in mothers contribute to HCV transmission to child
Wednesday, April 27, 2011 - 10:00
in Health & Medicine
New research shows that high maternal viral load and co-infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are the only risk factors associated with vertical transmission of the hepatitis C virus (HCV-VT). A variation in the infant's IL28B gene (CC) is associated independently with the spontaneous clearance of HCV genotype-1 among infected children. The status of IL28B in the mother or children did not increase risk of HCV-VT in this study. Findings are published in the May issue of Hepatology, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.