Mother‐to‐Child Transmission of GB Virus C in a Cohort of Women Coinfected with GB Virus C and HIV in Bangkok, Thailand

BACKGROUND: GB virus C (GBV-C) is an apathogenic virus that inhibits human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) replication in vitro. Mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of GBV-C has been observed in multiple small studies. Our study examined the rate and correlates of MTCT of GBV-C in a large cohort of GBV-C-HIV-coinfected pregnant women in Thailand. METHODS: Maternal delivery plasma specimens from 245 GBV-C-HIV-infected women and specimens from their infants at 4 or 6 months of age were tested for GBV-C RNA. Associations with MTCT of GBV-C were examined using logistic regression. RESULTS: One hundred one (41%) of 245 infants acquired GBV-C infection. MTCT of GBV-C was independently associated with maternal antiretroviral therapy (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 5.21 [95% confidence interval {CI} 2.12-12.81]) infant HIV infection (AOR 0.05 [95% CI 0.01-0.26]) maternal GBV-C load (8.0 log(10) copies/mL: AOR 86.77 [95% CI 15.27-481.70]; 7.0-7.9 log(10) copies/mL: AOR 45.62 [95% CI 8.41-247.51]; 5.0-6.9 log(10) copies/mL: AOR 9.07 [95% CI 1.85-44.33]: reference