Maternal neutralizing antibody and transmission of hepatitis C virus to infants

Abstract

To determine whether lower levels of hepatitis C virus (HCV)-specific neutralizing antibodies (nAb) are associated with an increased risk of mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HCV, HCV nAb titers were assessed in 63 mothers coinfected with HCV and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1. Of the mothers, 16 transmitted HCV to their infant, but no difference was detected between the ability of maternal plasma from transmitters and nontransmitters to neutralize heterologous HCV pseudoparticles (median nAb titer, 1:125 vs. 1:100; P = .23). In the setting of HIV/HCV coinfection, we found no evidence that HCV nAbs are associated with the prevention of MTCT of HCV.

Figure 1

Distribution of HCV neutralizing antibody titer by HCV transmission status. Maternal plasma from two* visits (one at delivery and one at either two or 12 months postpartum) were assessed for their ability to neutralize heterologous HCV pseudoparticles expressing the envelope glycoproteins from strain H77. Points represent log₁₀ transformed reciprocal ID₅₀ titers for each mother, generated by combining assay results from both visits and taking the median value. Values are plotted on a log scale with the nominal values shown on the y-axis. Middle horizontal lines in each group represent median values. Mothers that transmitted HCV to their infant (n=16) did not significantly differ from non-transmitting mothers (n=47), P=0.23. *four mothers were tested at only a single visit due to sample availability.