Genetic factors in mother-to-child transmission of HCV infection

HCV infection transmission rate in infants born to HCV-positive mothers is about 5%. HIV co-infection and high maternal RNA viral load are associated with increased transmission. The only genetic factor previously evaluated is HLA. We investigated the role of genetic factors already associated in adults with HCV infection evolution (HLA-DRB1, MBL2, TNF-α, IFN-γ and IL-10), or liver disease progression (HFE and TGF-β1). 384 Italian subjects were recruited, including 38 HCV-positive mother/child pairs; 104 infected, non-transmitting mothers with their 114 children; 21 vertically infected children and 69 HCV-exposed, uninfected children. Samples were analysed for previously described gene polymorphisms. Maternal HLA-DRB1⁎04 correlated with protection from vertical transmission (p = 0.023), while HLA-DRB1⁎10 in children was a risk factor (p = 0.036). Investigation of concordance degree in HLA-DRB1 locus revealed that a HLA mismatch between mother and child was a protective factor (p = 0.017) indicating that alloreactive immune responses are involved in preventing HCV vertical transmission.