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Updated: Aug 11, 2026

Two Methods of Heterokaryon Formation to Discover HCV Restriction Factors
Published on: July 16, 2012
[Vertical transmission of hepatitis C virus infection]
Min-min Li1, Shu-wen Liu, Shan-shan Wang
1The First Affiliated Hospital of Ji'nan University, Guangzhou 510630, China. hy-limm@21cn.com
Objective:
To investigate the mechanism for vertical transmission of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.
Methods:
This study included 6 pairs of mothers and fetuses who were positive for anti-HCV antibody and HCV RNA, and 2 pairs of fathers and fetus in whom the father was positive for anti-HCV and HCV RNA while the mother was negative. HCV genotypes were detected by PCR and the nucleotide sequences of HCV genome spanning the core and envelope gene region (HCV C/E1) determined and compared.
Results:
The HCV genotypes of the mothers and fetus were consistent. Five mother-fetus pairs were of genotype II, 1 of genotype III, with high homology of HCV between the mothers and their own fetuses. In contrast, in the two father-fetus pairs, no HCV RNA was detected in the fetuses in spite of the positivity of the fathers.
Conclusion:
Vertical transmission of HCV infection from mothers to fetus is a clinical entity.
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