Maternal chronic hepatitis B virus is implicated with low neonatal paraoxonase/arylesterase activities.
BACKGROUND
Paraoxonase/arylesterase activities are closely implicated with liver function and antiatherogenetic process.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate whether maternal chronic hepatitis B virus, disease (HBV) affect serum neonatal paraoxonase/arylesterase activities.


METHODS
28 pregnant women with HBV and 28 healthy pregnant women (controls) in the delivery room and their newborns (cord blood) underwent laboratory examinations. Serological virus tests and liver function tests and paraoxonase (PON 1) activities were measured with the Siemens Advia 1650 Clinical Chemistry System, while total antioxidant capacity (TAC) levels and paraoxonase-arylesterase (PON-aryl) activities were measured spectrophotometrically.


RESULTS
Serological HBV tests and HBV DNA showed chronic HBV (precore mutant G1896A) in the diseased mothers whereas anti-HBc and anti-HBe were detected in their neonates. Liver function parameters were found normal in controls and both groups of newborns. Moderately increased transaminase levels were measured in HBV mothers, whereas TAC levels were decreased in hepatic mothers and their newborns. Interestingly albumin levels did not differ among the studied groups. PON 1 and PON-aryl activities in the diseased mothers (148+/-14 U/mL/min, 130+/-16 KU/mL/min) and their infants (32+/-6 U/mL/min, 24+/-5 KU/mL/min) were significantly lower as compared to those of control mothers (217+/-16 U/mL/min, 196+/-14 KU/mL/min p<0.001) and their newborns (57+/-6 U/mL/min, 48+/-8 UK mL/min p<0.001). Inverse significant correlations were found between the studied enzyme activities and liver enzymes in all the groups of study except in infants born from HBV mothers and positive with TAC in all the studied groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Decreased PON 1 and PON-aryl activities were measured in infants born from hepatic mothers probably as a consequence of their low TAC. Infants born from HBV mothers are at risk for developing LDL oxidation perinatally.
Institute of Child Health, Research Centre, Athens, Greece.
Kleopatra H
KH
Schulpis
Anastasia
A
Barzeliotou
Miltiadis
M
Papadakis
Alexandros
A
Rodolakis
Aris
A
Antsaklis
Ioannis
I
Papassotiriou
George D
GD
Vlachos
D000328:Adult; D043303:Aryldialkylphosphatase / Q000097:blood*; D002265:Carboxylic Ester Hydrolases / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000276:immunology; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000097:blood* / Q000821:virology
D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens; D002265:Carboxylic Ester Hydrolases; C019734:arylesterase; D043303:Aryldialkylphosphatase