OBJECTIVETo study the outcome of hepatitis C virus (HCV) vertical transmitted infants.

METHODSThirteen HCV vertical infected infants were followed up for 10 years. HCV antibody and HCV RNA in the blood samples from them were tested using second generation HCV antibody EIA kits and RT-PCR, respectively.

RESULTSAmong the 13 infants, one developed clinical hepatitis C, and serum HCV antibody and HCV RNA could be detected for 7 and 8 years, respectively. Three were subclinical hepatitis C, serum HCV antibody continued to be positive for 12 months (2 infants) and 24 months (1 infant), respectively, and serum HCV RNA turned to be negative at the 24th month (2 infants) and the 60th month (1 infant), respectively. Nine were HCV insidious infection, whose serum HCV antibody and HCV RNA turned to be negative in 12 months. During the eight to ten years, there was no infants with anti-HCV or HCV RNA positive again.

CONCLUSIONSIt is rarely happened that vertical transmitted HCV induce chronic HCV carrying state and chronic viral hepatitis, and most of the infected infants have good outcome.