Clinical features and hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotypes in pregnant women chronically infected with HBV

HBV genotypes circulation in pregnant women in Romania: a pilot study

Background: The risk of mother to child transmission of hepatitis B virus (HBV) is recognized worldwide, a reason for which the World Health Organization aims to reduce this public health issue of major concern in the next ten years. The aim of our study was to detect circulating HBV genotypes in a selected population of pregnant women, as scientific evidence to recommend personalized antiviral therapy and to obtain updated epidemiological information.

Methods: HBsAg positive pregnant women were selected by the National Institute of Public Health Romania. Blood samples were collected after signing the informed consent. The HBV genotypes were tested by INNO LiPA HBV genotyping method.

Results. The D genotype was detected in 9/18 (50%) patients, genotype A in 3/18 (16.7%), and genotype F in 3/18 (16.7%) patients. Three patients had double infection, 11 had unique infection, and 4 had no detectable genotype.

Conclusion. This study confirmed the results of previous studies regarding HBV genotype circulation in our country, with the mention that F genotype was a new one for our area. These data are useful from an epidemiological point of view and also for therapeutical reasons, as it is known that therapy should be genotype guided.

Seroepidemiological study of hepatitis B virus markers in Japan

BACKGROUND

In Japan, since 1986, selective vaccination has been implemented as a hepatitis B prevention strategy. The target of vaccination is the infant born to a hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive mother. The current Japanese hepatitis B prevention strategy focuses on reducing the number of HBV carriers but overlooks the risk to susceptible populations. We conducted a nationwide HBV seroepidemiological study to explore the next hepatitis B control strategy.

METHODS

We used sera derived from healthy individuals collected nationwide from 2005 through 2011 to investigate the HBsAg seroprevalence among children aged 4-9 years and 10-15 years (3000 samples) and hepatitis B core antibody (HBcAb) seroprevalence among people 10-39 years of age (600 samples).

FINDINGS

Among sera from 3000 children, 5 (0.17%) specimens were HBsAg-positive. There was no significant difference in HBsAg prevalence between age groups. Among 600 samples, 15 (2.5%) were HBcAb-positive. Out of 15 samples, 4 were from teenagers. Both HBsAg- and HBcAb-positive sera were found mainly in the Southern area of Japan.

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of HBsAg among children was 0.17% in the present study. This is higher than the prevalence reported in previous studies performed in the local area or in blood donors. The prevalence of HBcAb is also higher than we estimated. One of the reasons for this discrepancy from previous studies may be due to the small sample size and the impact of HBV high-endemic areas included in the present nationwide study. Nevertheless, our findings revealed that the opportunities for acquiring HBV infection in the susceptible population were more frequent than we thought, especially in some localities. Hepatitis B vaccination should be introduced into the routine child immunization program for susceptible populations, and the selective vaccination program should be continued for high-risk children.