title: Is there evidence for intrauterine HBV infection in newborns of hepatitis B carrier mothers?
abstract: It has been proposed that some neonates infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV), acquire their infections in utero as demonstrated by HBV seromarkers in venous blood samples at birth. In this study, paired blood samples from 13 HBsAg-positive, 19 HBsAg- and HBeAg-positive, 2 HBsAg-negative mothers and 34 of their neonates, were drawn 24-72 hours after birth and tested for HBV-DNA in their peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). The presence of HBV-DNA in PBMC was detected in 69.2% (9/13) of HBsAg-positive mothers, 94.7% (18/19) of HBsAg- and HBeAg-positive mothers, and in none of their neonates. The conclusion from these results is that the evidence for hepatitis B infections occurring in neonates of hepatitis B carrier mothers in utero is uncommon.
authors.affiliation: Viral Hepatitis Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University and Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Poovorawan
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Chongsrisawat
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Theamboonlers
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vimolkej
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yano
mesh_terms: D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000097:blood / Q000151:congenital* / Q000635:transmission*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000097:blood / Q000821:virology*; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral