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The article presents information on the December 2005 issue of the "Journal of Infectious Diseases." The issue presents papers from 2 large multicenter studies of vertical transmission of hepatitis C virus (HCV). The studies are complementary and have largely similar findings. The most interesting observation from the European study is that HCV infection was twice as frequent among female than male infants. It is perplexing that the European investigators provide little information to help interpret the sex differences they observe and emphasize in the title of their paper.

Responds to Jorge Casseb's comment on the authors' paper on the interaction of human T cell leukemia type I with liver disease in hepatitis C virus-infected patients. Effect of excess pro-inflammatory cytokine production; Preservation of cellular immunity in infected host; Liver cancer without induction of chronic hepatitis.

Comments on Cynthia Boschi-Pinto, Sherri Stuver, Akihiko Okayama and Nancy Mueller's paper on the interaction of human T cell leukemia type I with liver disease in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients. Increase in risk for liver disease; Capacity to induce T cell proliferation and produce interferon-gamma; Capacity of T lymphocytes to respond to HCV-infected hepatocytes.