ObjectivesVertical transmission of hepatitis C virus (HCV) is rare compared with other chronic viral infections, despite that newborns have an immature, and possibly more susceptible, immune system. It further remains unclear to what extent prenatal and perinatal exposure to HCV affects immune system development in neonates.DesignTo address this, we studied B cells, innate immune cells and soluble factors in a cohort of 62 children that were either unexposed, exposed uninfected or infected with HCV. Forty of these infants were followed longitudinally from birth up until 18 months of age.ResultsAs expected, evidence for B cell maturation was observed with increased age in children, whereas few age-related changes were noticed among innate immune cells. HCV-infected children had a high frequency of HCV-specific IgG-secreting B cells. Such a response was also detected in some exposed but uninfected children but not in uninfected controls. Consistent with this, both HCV-exposed uninfected and HCV-infected infants had evidence of early B cell immune maturation with an increased proportion of IgA-positive plasma cells and upregulated CD40 expression. In contrast, actual HCV viraemia, but not mere exposure, led to alterations within myeloid immune cell populations, natural killer (NK) cells and a distinct soluble factor profile with increased levels of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines.ConclusionOur data reveal that exposure to, and infection with, HCV causes disparate effects on adaptive B cells and innate immune cell such as myeloid cells and NK cells in infants.

Regardless of viral genotype we found no association between IL28B genotype and the risk of HCV-VT. The IL28B genotype CC, which has been shown to be favourable in other settings, was not protective of HCV-VT. Thus, other factors possibly associated with the risk of HCV-VT need to be explored.

Хронический гепатит С (ХГС) в последние годы получил значительное распространение среди лиц мо-лодого возраста, в том числе и среди беременных женщин. ХГС часто выявляется впервые у женщин во время беременности при скрининговом исследовании. На основе наблюдения 30 беременных с хрониче-ским гепатитом С, изучения их плаценты и обследований младенцев обнаружено, что риск инфицирования плаценты не зависит от вирусной нагрузки. Независимо от наличия антигенов вируса гепатита С в плацен-те, трансплацентарного инфицирования вирусом гепатита С не происходит.Ключевые слова: хронический гепатит С, беременность, иммуногистохимия, плацента. Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) is common in recent years, among the younger age groups, including pregnant women. HCV is often detected for the first time in a woman during pregnancy by screening study. It was determined based on observation of 30 pregnant women with chronic hepatitis C, studies of their placentas and surveys of infants that the risk for infection of the placenta does not depend on viral load, and regardless of the presence of antigens of hepatitis C virus in the placenta, transplacental infection occurs.

Aim. To study features of the course of chronic hepatitis C virus infection in pregnant women and its effect on pregnancy.Methods. The study included 111 pregnant women: 67 with chronic hepatitis C and 44 healthy women. The mean age was 28 years. The number of pregnancies among examined women ranged from 1 to 8. All pregnant women had no concomitant therapeutic pathology and various addictions (alcohol, nicotine, drugs). The viral load in pregnant women with chronic hepatitis C ranged from 3.18×102 to 2.4×107 IU/mL.Results. Alanine aminotransferase and bilirubin levels in the group of chronic hepatitis C and in healthy pregnant women did not exceed the normal range and were not statistically different from each other. In repeated pregnancies viral load of hepatitis C virus was lower, compared with the first pregnancy: median [25%; 75%] = 5.202 [4.079; 6.364] and 6.658 [5.708; 7.380], respectively (p106 IU/mL). At the same time threatened miscarriage, intrauterine hypoxia and preeclampsia were registered more often.Conclusion. In the first pregnancy the viral load is higher than in repeated pregnancies; pregnancy in women with chronic hepatitis C without concomitant diseases does not cause activation of the inflammatory process in the liver; in pregnant women with chronic hepatitis C, especially at higher viral loads, medical history remarkable for obstetric diseases are more likely detected.