Prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and its vertical transmission in Egyptian pregnant women and their newborns

We studied the prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibody seropositivity using ELISA (Ortho Diagnostic system, 3rd generation test) polymerase chain reaction testing of HCV-RNA (PCR, Promega) and serum alanine transferase (ALT) level in 100 healthy, HIV-negative, pregnant women who delivered spontaneously at the Alexandria University Hospital, and their newborns. Some risk factors were studied using Fisher's exact test. Nineteen per cent of pregnant women were HCV seropositive and 14 of them (14/19) had circulating HCV-RNA, detected by PCR. Nine of the babies born to the 19 HCV seropositive females had circulating antibodies, whereas HCV-RNA was detected in five of them. This gives a vertical transmission risk of 5/14 (36 per cent) for mothers carrying the HCV-RNA and 5/19 (26 per cent) for those having circulating HCV antibodies. History of previous blood transfusion, elevated serum ALT level, and history of infection with schistosomiasis were significant risk factors for HCV infection in mothers. In addition to the previous factors, maternal history of jaundice, stillbirth and hepatomegaly were significant risk factors for neonatal infection. The occurrence of early jaundice and the presence of congenital anomalies in the newborns were non-significant risk factors. In conclusion, our data indicate a high prevalence of HCV seropositivity in Egyptian HIV-negative pregnant women with a significant high rate of vertical transmission of HCV.

Tumour necrosis factor-alpha concentration in severely asthmatic children

We assessed tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) concentrations in 80 asthmatic children, 26 with severe asthma in early-phase reaction, 26 with severe asthma in late-phase reaction, 28 with severe asthma controlled in between attacks with oral prednisone and 20 matched control children. TNF-alpha was measured in patients' plasma and in a supernatant of lipopolysaccharide-stimulated (LPS) peripheral blood mononuclear (PBM) cells. TNF-alpha concentrations in plasma and the supernatant of LPS-stimulated cells were positively correlated and the concentration also correlated positively with the time lapse between the start of the asthma attack and the time of blood sampling. TNF-alpha concentration was significantly higher in the late-phase reaction group compared to the other groups, indicating a need to counteract its release and/or effects early in asthma patients.