title: Hepatitis C and hepatitis B virus infection: epidemiology and risk factors in a large cohort of pregnant women in Lorestan, West of Iran.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There are little data on the prevalence of serological markers of hepatitis B and hepatitis C viruses in pregnant women in Iran.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study was designed to determine the prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among pregnant women in Lorestan, west of Iran.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum samples of 827 pregnant women who lived in rural (36.8%) and urban areas (63.2%) of Lorestan were collected during 2007-2008. Data were obtained through questionnaires. Samples were first screened for anti-HCV and anti-HBc by ELISA. Those who were positive for anti-HBc were tested for HBsAg.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Anti-HBc was found in 28 of 827 pregnant women (overall prevalence, 3.4%; 14 of 523 in urban areas, 2.7%; 14 of 304 in rural areas, 4.6%). Of the 28 positive samples, 6(0.7%) were positive for HBs-Ag. Only 2 samples (0.2%) were anti-HCV-positive.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results underscore the need for prenatal screening for HBV infection in pregnant women and treatment of newborns from HBsAg-positive mothers.More studies are needed to identify risk factors of HCV infection and highlight the importance of HCV screening and treatment programs.
authors.affiliation: Research Institute of Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Seyed Reza
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Mohebbi
authors.forename: Azar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sanati
authors.forename: Kourosh
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Cheraghipour
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rostami Nejad
authors.forename: Hamid Mohaghegh
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Shalmani
authors.forename: Mohammad Reza
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Zali