Seroprevalence of hepatitis B infection during pregnancy and risk of perinatal transmission.
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Date
2011-03
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Abstract
Objectives To investigate the seroprevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in pregnant women and possible risk factors for perinatal hepatitis B virus (HBV) transmission.
Methods Four thousand pregnant women were evaluated
using history, examination, and test for serum HBsAg using
commercial enzyme immunoassay kits. For HBsAg positive
women, liver function tests and a test for hepatitis B e
antigen (HBeAg) was done. HBV DNA analysis was done
by polymerase chain reaction (PCR).
Results Of 4,000 women studied, 37 (0.9%) tested positive
for HBsAg. Of these 37 women, 6 (16%) presented with acute
hepatitis and 31 (84%) were asymptomatic. The highest
HBsAg positivity rate was seen in the age group of 21–
25 years (1.15%) followed by 26–30 years (0.86%). Assessment
of risk factors revealed history of tattooing in 29/37
(78.4%) women. HBeAg was positive in 21 of 37 (56.8%)
women. Of the 16 HBeAg negative women, 5 were positive
for HBV DNA and anti-HBe antibody, 6 had only anti-HBe
antibody and 5 had neither HBV DNA nor anti-HBe. Vertical
transmission was seen in 65% (13/20) of babies born to
mothers who were positive for HBeAg and HBV DNA. In
contrast, it was only 9.1% (1/11) for babies born to mothers
who were negative for both HBeAg and HBV DNA. Of the 25
babies delivered vaginally, 15 (60%) developed vertical
transmission. None of the four babies delivered by elective
cesarean section had evidence of vertical transmission.
Conclusions Seroprevalence of HBsAg in antenatal women
was found to be 0.9%. HBe-antigen and HBV DNA
positivity was associated with a higher chance of vertical transmission
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Keywords
Diagnosis, HBeAg, HBsAg, HBV DNA, Hepatitis B, Perinatal transmission, Prevalence, Virus
Citation
Dwivedi Manisha, Misra Sri Prakash, Misra Vatsala, Pandey Arvind, Pant Sanjay, Singh Rita, Verma Manju. Seroprevalence of hepatitis B infection during pregnancy and risk of perinatal transmission. Indian Journal of Gastroenterology. 2011 Mar-Apr; 30(2): 66-71.