HCV-positive, HIV-1-negative Mothers Transmit HCV

Using 5′ terminal region cDNA/polymerase chain reaction (cPCR) assays for the detection of hepatitis C virus (HCV), several conflicting reports on the transmission or lack of transmission from HCV-positive, human immunodeficiency virus (HlV)-1-negative mothers to their infants have been published. We evaluated seven mother/infant pairs (one set of twins) for HCV-RNA. To unequivocally demonstrate vertical transmission from the two HCV-RNA-positive, HIV-1-negative mothers to their three HCV-RNA-positive infants (one set of twins), the hypervariable domain of the putative envelope glycoprotein E2 (E2HV) was sequenced. The data indicate that HCV is transmitted from mother to infant; that transmission most likely occurs both in utero and perinatally; and that, as previously observed in HIV-1 infections, a subset of viral variants may be selectively transmitted.