title: Prevalence of hepatitis B among pregnant women assisted at the public maternity hospitals of São Luís, Maranhão, Brazil.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is an important worldwide public health problem. In Brazil, the Ministry of Health estimates that 15% of the population has had contact with HBV, and that the mean rate of chronic carriers in Northeastern Brazil is around 0.5%.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of HBV markers in pregnant women receiving prenatal care at the public maternity hospitals of São Luís.
  
  
  METHODS
  Demographical and epidemiological data were collected from 541 pregnant women according to the research protocol. Blood samples were collected, and the anti-HBc test was performed first. If positive, the sample was subsequently tested for HBsAg and anti-HBs. All HBsAg and/or anti-HBc positive samples were additionally tested for HBV-DNA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  40 (7.4%) pregnant women turned out positive for anti-HBc. Of those, five (0.9%) were HBsAg positive, four (0.7%) were anti-HBc positive with negative HBsAg and anti-HBs, and 31 (5.7%) were positive for anti-HBc and anti-HBs. Anti-HBc positivity was associated with family history of hepatitis and education level below 11 years of schooling. HBV-DNA was positive in only one HBsAg-positive sample. There was no HBV-DNA positivity among HBsAg negative samples.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of HBsAg in pregnant women in this study confirmed that São Luís is a low endemicity area. Occult hepatitis B was not detected in these samples.
authors.affiliation: Center of Clinical Research, Universidade Federal do Maranhão, São Luís, MA, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marinilde Teles
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.forename: Tainá Lima Reis de
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Pinho
authors.forename: Max Diego Cruz
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: Alexsandro dos
authors.initials: Ad
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: Vera Lúcia
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Monteiro
authors.forename: Lena Maria Barros
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Fonsêca
authors.forename: Pedro Antônio Muniz
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.forename: Adalgisa de Souza Paiva
authors.initials: Ade S
authors.lastname: Ferreira
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006771:Hospitals, Maternity; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens