Spontaneous Clearance of Vertically Acquired Hepatitis C Infection: Implications for Testing and Treatment.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Current guidelines recommend that infants born to women with hepatitis C virus (HCV) viremia be screened for HCV antibody at age 18 months and, if positive, referred for RNA testing at 3 years to confirm chronic infection. This policy is based, in part, on analyses that suggest that 25%-40% of vertically acquired HCV infections clear spontaneously within 4-5 years.

Methods

Data on 179 infants with HCV RNA and/or anti-HCV evidence of vertically acquired infection in 3 prospective European cohorts were investigated. Ages at clearance of infection were estimated taking account of interval censoring and delayed entry. We also investigated clearance in initially HCV RNA-negative infants in whom RNA was not detectable until after 6 weeks.

Results

Clearance rates

SUBMITTER: Ades AE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9989140 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature