title: Seroprevalence of Bordetella pertussis antibody in pregnant women in Iran.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The increasing incidence of pertussis among adolescents and adults in recent years is an alarming factor in transmission of the infection to non-immune infants and children. Vaccination of pregnant women, immediately after delivery and before being discharged from the hospital may help to protect mothers and their newborns against the disease. Decision making process, regarding maternal immunization, requires credible information and knowledge about seroepidemiology of the infection in pregnant women. The aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of Bordetella pertussis antibody among admitted pregnant women in Hamadan, western Iran.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this cross-sectional study, 288 pregnant women admitted to the Fatemiyeh Hospital, Hamadan, western Iran, were enrolled into the study. After obtaining consent from every patient, serum samples were taken from patients and were kept frozen until testing. Serum level of B. pertussis antibody was measured using ELISA. Level of antibody higher than 24 U/ml was considered positive. The obtained data were analyzed using the statistical software SPSS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From 288 pregnant women, 126 (43.8%) were in their second trimester. Serological results in 103 patients (35.8%) were positive. The mean age of mothers with positive serology was 27.5±6 years old. Thirty-five percent of patients had a valid immunization record, and 1.57% of those with no vaccination record had a positive serology.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The level of immunity against B. pertussis in pregnant women was low. Immunization before or during pregnancy can stimulate newborn's immune response and gives them required protection against pertussis infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.
authors.forename: Seyed Hamid
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Hashemi
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.
authors.forename: Mehrangiz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zamani
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.
authors.forename: Mojgan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mamani
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.
authors.forename: Robabeh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Javedanpoor
authors.affiliation: Student Research Center, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.
authors.forename: Amir Hossein
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Rahighi
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran. nadi@umsha.ac.ir.
authors.forename: Ebrahim
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nadi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D001886:Bordetella pertussis / Q000276:immunology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007112:Immunity, Maternally-Acquired; D007114:Immunization; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007492:Iran; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D011264:Pregnancy Trimesters; D037841:Pregnant People; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014611:Vaccination; D014917:Whooping Cough / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial
keywords: Bordetella pertussis; Epidemiology; Immunity; Pregnancy