Assessment of HCV Infection in Suspected Orphans Newborns by Real-Time PCR and HCV-Core Ag-Elisa

Background & Objective: HCV infection may be transmitted from an infected mother to her fetus in a low percentage however, it is the most important route of infancy HCV infection. The chance of HCV transmission in HIV/HCV co-infected mothers is higher than that in HCV mono-infected ones. The aim of this study is to assess HCV infection status in orphan newborns in Shiraz, Iran by quantitative PCR assay and HCV core-Ag Elisa. Materials & Methods:  Twenty nine HCV suspected infants, 2-7 months old, were evaluated for HCV and HIV antibodies, HCV core antigen and quantitative genome viral load. Results: Although HCV-Ab was detected in all the studied infants, HCV-RNA was not detected in plasma or Peripheral Blood Mono-Nuclear Cells (PBMCs). HIV 1, 2 Abs were not detected in none of them, either. Conclusion: A few studies have been conducted on the HCV transmission from infected mothers to their infants. According to the present results, assessment of HCV viral load and HCV core-Ag can serve as reliable tests for the prediction or exclusion of HCV infection from mothers to infants.