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Molecular analysis of intraspousal transmission of hepatitis C virus
K Chayama1, M Kobayashi, A Tsubota
1Department of Gastroenterology, Toranomon Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
Insights
Intraspousal transmission of Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is supported by strong evidence. Genetic analysis of 17 couples revealed that 14 spouses were infected with the same HCV genotype, suggesting transmission within marriage.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
Background:
- Hepatitis C virus (HCV) transmission routes are well-documented, but intraspousal transmission has remained speculative.
- Direct evidence for sexual transmission of HCV between spouses is lacking.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the potential for intraspousal transmission of Hepatitis C virus (HCV).
- To determine if HCV can be transmitted between married partners.
Main Methods:
- Studied 295 spouses of individuals diagnosed with HCV.
- Assessed anti-HCV status and performed HCV genotyping using polymerase chain reaction (PCR).
- Compared HCV nucleotide sequences between spouses to assess homology and phylogenetic relationships.
Main Results:
- 25 (8.8%) spouses tested positive for anti-HCV.
- 14 of 17 couples (82.4%) shared the same HCV genotype.
- High nucleotide sequence homology (>97%) in the E1 gene of five couples, with phylogenetic analysis suggesting post-marital infection and exclusion of other transmission routes.
Conclusions:
- The study provides strong evidence supporting intraspousal transmission of HCV.
- Genetic similarities between spouses' HCV isolates indicate sexual transmission as a likely route.
Background/Aims:
Although intraspousal transmission of hepatitis C virus (HCV) has been speculated, there is no direct evidence.
Methods:
To investigate whether transmission of HCV occurs by this route, 295 spouses of persons diagnosed with HCV were studied. Of these, 25 (8.8%) tested positive for anti-HCV. Next, the HCV genotype was determined by polymerase chain reaction using a mixed primer set, and cDNA was obtained in 17 of the 25 couples for comparison of the genotypes.
Results:
Of these 17, 14 (82.4%) spouses were shown to be infected with HCV of the same genotype. Analysis of the nucleotide sequences of putative E1 gene of eight couples having the same HCV genotype revealed that five couples had remarkably high nucleotide sequence homologies (> 97%), whereas samples obtained from the remaining three couples showed relatively low homology (91-92%). Nucleotide sequence homologies were significantly higher between spouses than between non-spouse pairs of isolates. Phylogenetic analysis using the neighbor-joining method suggests that infection in these five couples probably occurred after marriage. Furthermore, none of the five couples had shared other possible transmission routes such as intravenous drug use, dental treatment or acupuncture.
Conclusion:
These data strongly suggest the occurrence of intraspousal transmission of HCV.