title: Prevalence, risk factors and virological profile of chronic hepatitis B virus infection in pregnant women in India.
abstract: A large program was conducted by the Government of India to study the prevalence and profile of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and its risk factors in pregnant women attending a tertiary care hospital in India. From September 2004 to December 2008 consecutive pregnant women attending the antenatal clinic were screened and those found positive for HBsAg were enrolled. Healthy non-pregnant women of child-bearing age, who presented for blood donation during the same period, served as controls. Women with symptoms of liver disease or those aware of their HBsAg status were excluded. Of the 20,104 pregnant women screened, 224 (1.1%) and of the 658 controls, 8 (1.2%) were HBsAg positive (P = ns). Previous blood transfusions and surgery were significant risk factors for infection with HBV. Of the women who were HBsAg positive, the ALT levels were normal in 54% of the women and HBV DNA levels were above 2,000  IU/ml in 71% of women. The median HBV DNA levels were higher in women who were HBeAg positive compared to the HBeAg negative group. The most common HBV genotype was D (84%) followed by A + D and A (8% each). In conclusion, the prevalence of HBsAg positivity among asymptomatic pregnant women in North India is 1.1% with 71% having high HBV DNA levels. These women may have a high risk of transmitting infection to their newborns.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, GB Pant Hospital, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Chandana
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pande
authors.forename: Shiv Kumar
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Sarin
authors.forename: Sharda
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Patra
authors.forename: Kazila
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bhutia
authors.forename: Siddhartha Kumar
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Mishra
authors.forename: Sangeeta
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pahuja
authors.forename: Manjula
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jain
authors.forename: Shikha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Srivastava
authors.forename: Sadaf Bashir
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Dar
authors.forename: Shubha Sagar
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Trivedi
authors.forename: Chinmay K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Mukhopadhyay
authors.forename: Ashish
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kumar
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical / Q000517:prevention & control; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative / Q000009:adverse effects; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013653:Tattooing / Q000009:adverse effects; D065227:Transfusion Reaction
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens