[Prevalence of immunity to hepatitis viruses in pregnant women from the health area of Gijón (Spain)].
BACKGROUND
The objective of the study is to determine the prevalence of hepatitis B or C chronic infection, and hepatitis A or E immunity among pregnant women from Gijón, as well as their clinical and epidemiological antecedents.


METHODS
HBsAg and anti-HCV were determined in 2287 pregnant women consecutively attended in the Cabueñes Hospital, Gijón. Ninety nine of them, non-European or Gipsy, were also tested for anti-HAV IgG and anti-HEV IgG as were a sample of 325 and 365 respectively of the remaining 2188. Several clinical and epidemiological parameters were checked in all of them.


RESULTS
Hepatitis B virus: 10.8% (246/2287) were previously vaccinated. Among the 2043 non vaccinated, 0.8% (17 cases) were HBsAg+. None of them had HBV replication and in 59% (10/17) the HBV infection was unknown. Hepatitis C virus: 1.44% (33/2287) women were anti-VHC+, 1.26% (29/2287) anti-VHC and PCR+. In 28% of them (8/29) no parenteral risk factor was identified. Again, the infection was unknown in 58% (17/29) previously unknown. Hepatitis A virus: excluding non-European and Gipsy women, with a rate of immunity against HAV in younger than 29 years-old of 57% (12/21) and 89% (16/18), respectively, the anti-HAV IgG was positive in 17% (22/128) of the women younger than 29 years-old, 28% (60/214) between 29 and 36 years-old, and in 56% (13/23) of those older than 36 years-old. Hepatitis E virus: anti-HEC IgG was found in 2% (2/99) non European or Gipsy pregnant women and in 0.6% of the rest (2/325).


CONCLUSIONS
a). Vaccination rate against hepatitis B virus is still low among pregnant women in Gijón; b). most of HBsAg+ or anti-VHC+ ignore it and many of them have not an evident risk factor; c). susceptibility to hepatitis A infection is high, with progress towards adult age, and d). remember the possibility of infection by hepatitis E virus.
Suárez González
A
A
Sección de Aparato Digestivo, Hospital de Cabueñes, Gijón, Asturias, Spain. adolfo.suarez@hcabuenes.es
Solís Sánchez
G
G
Otero Guerra
L
L
Viejo De La Guerra
G
G
Alvarez Navascués
C
C
García López
R
R
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D006518:Hepatitis Viruses / Q000276:immunology; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007109:Immunity; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D015995:Prevalence; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology
D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D007074:Immunoglobulin G