Fulminant hepatitis B in an infant born to a hepatitis Be antibody positive, DNA negative carrier.
A boy was born to a mother who was a chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) carrier. She was hepatitis Be (HBe) antibody positive and HBe antigen and HBV-DNA negative. The boy had not received hepatitis B vaccine and died from fulminant hepatitis at 3 months of age. This case demonstrates the need to vaccinate babies of HBe antibody positive, HBe antigen negative carriers.
Catholic University of Louvain, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Brussels, Belgium.
J
J
Vanclaire
C
C
Cornu
E M
EM
Sokal
D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000635:transmission*; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D011247:Pregnancy
D004279:DNA, Viral; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens