title: HBeAg negative serological status and low viral replication levels characterize chronic hepatitis B virus-infected women at reproductive age in Greece: a one-year prospective single center study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the seroprevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in 13 581 women at reproductive age and the hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)/anti-HBe status as well as serum hepatitis B virus (HBV)-DNA levels in a subgroup of HBsAg(+) pregnant women at labor in Greece.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serological markers were detected using enzyme immunoassays. Serum HBV-DNA was determined by a sensitive quantitative PCR assay. Statistical analysis of data was based on parametric methodology.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 1.156% of women were HBsAg(+) and the majority of them (71.3%) were Albanian. The prevalence of HBsAg was 5.1% in Albanian women, 4.2% in Asian women and 1.14% in women from Eastern European countries. The prevalence of HBsAg in African (0.36%) and Greek women (0.29%) was very low. Only 4.45% of HBsAg(+) women were also HBeAg(+) whereas the vast majority of them were HBeAg(-)/anti-HBe(+). Undetectable levels of viremia (<200 copies/mL) were observed in 32.26% of pregnant women at labor and 29.03% exhibited extremely low levels of viral replication (<400 copies/mL). Only two pregnant women exhibited extremely high serum HBV-DNA levels (>10 000 000 copies/mL), whereas 32.26% exhibited HBV-DNA levels between 1 500 and 40 000 copies/mL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The overall prevalence of HBsAg is relatively low among women at reproductive age in Greece but is higher enough among specific populations. The HBeAg(-)/anti-HBe(+) serological status and the extremely low or even undetectable viral replicative status in the majority of HBsAg(+) women of our study population, suggest that only a small proportion of HBsAg(+) women in Greece exhibit a high risk for vertical transmission of the infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Nursing, University of Athens, Helena Venizelou Maternal Hospital, Greece. ielefs@acn.gr
authors.forename: Ioannis S
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Elefsiniotis
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Glynou
authors.forename: Ioanna
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Magaziotou
authors.forename: Konstantinos D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Pantazis
authors.forename: Nikolaos V
authors.initials: NV
authors.lastname: Fotos
authors.forename: Hero
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Brokalaki
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kada
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Saroglou
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000415:Albania / Q000453:epidemiology; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000097:blood*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000097:blood* / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000821:virology; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D019562:Viral Load; D014779:Virus Replication
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens