title: Seroprevalence of HBV (anti-HBc, HBsAg and anti-HBs) and HDV infections among 9006 women at delivery.
abstract: Serum samples from 9006 women, who delivered in Switzerland in 1990 and 1991, were collected around the country. Of these women, 62.7% were Swiss and 37.3% originated from foreign countries. Samples were first screened for anti-HBc and those found positive were further tested for HBsAg, anti-HBs and anti-HDV. Anti-HBc was found in 640 of the 9006 women (overall prevalence, 7.1%; Swiss, 3.3%; foreigners, 13.5%). Of these 640 positive samples, 61 (9.5%) were positive for HBsAg (without anti-HBs), 467 (73.0%) positive for anti-HBs (without HBsAg) and 8 (1.3%) positive for both HBsAg and anti-HBs. The remaining 104 were thus anti-HBc positive without HBsAg or anti-HBs. These 104 specimens with the so-called "isolated anti-HBc" reactivity represented 1.2% of the whole population or 16.3% of the 640 anti-HBc positive mothers. All were HBV DNA negative (PCR). Anti-HDV antibody was found in only five women. HBsAg was seen in 38 of the cord-blood samples from the anti-HBc positive mothers. In this large sampling, we observed a relatively high seroprevalence of HBV infection. Cases with isolated anti-HBc reactivity, being HBV DNA negative by PCR, were probably non-infectious at the time of blood collection.
authors: Division of Immunology and Allergy, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors: P A
authors: PA
authors: Bart
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Jacquier
authors: P L
authors: PL
authors: Zuber
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Lavanchy
authors: P C
authors: PC
authors: Frei
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology*; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000097:blood*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood*; D003699:Hepatitis D / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D003698:Hepatitis Delta Virus / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000276:immunology*; D013557:Switzerland / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens