title: Peripheral blood mononuclear cell traffic plays a crucial role in mother-to-infant transmission of hepatitis B virus.
abstract: The role of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in HBV intrauterine infection is not fully defined. Particularly the origin of PBMCs in HBV-infected neonates remains to be addressed. We carried out a population-based nested case-control study by enrolling 312 HBsAg-positive mothers and their babies. PBMC HBV DNA as well as serum HBsAg and HBV DNA was tested in cohort entry samples. Totally, 45.5% (142/312) of the newborns were found to be infected with HBV in perinatal transmission. 119 mother-infant pairs were identified to be different in the genetic profile of maternal and fetal PBMCs by AS-PCR and hemi-nested PCR. Among them, 57.1% (68/119) of the maternal PBMCs in index cases were positive for HBV DNA while 83.8% (57/68) of the HBV DNA positive maternal PBMCs passed the placental barrier and entered the fetus. Furthermore, maternal PBMC HBV infection was significantly associated with newborn infants HBV infection. PBMC traffic from mother to fetus resulted in a 9.5-fold increased risk of HBV infection in PBMC HBV DNA positive newborn infants. These data indicate that maternal PBMCs infected with HBV contribute to HBV intrauterine infection of newborn infants via PBMC traffic from mother to fetus.
authors: 1. Institute of Disease Control and Prevention, Academy of Military Medical Science, Beijing, China;
authors: Yuan-Yong
authors: YY
authors: Xu
authors: 2. Department of Epidemiology, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China;
authors: Hui-Hui
authors: HH
authors: Liu
authors: 3. Pediatric Liver Disease Therapy Research Laboratory, 302 Hospital, Beijing, China;
authors: Yan-Wei
authors: YW
authors: Zhong
authors: 1. Institute of Disease Control and Prevention, Academy of Military Medical Science, Beijing, China;
authors: Chang
authors: C
authors: Liu
authors: 1. Institute of Disease Control and Prevention, Academy of Military Medical Science, Beijing, China;
authors: Yong
authors: Y
authors: Wang
authors: 1. Institute of Disease Control and Prevention, Academy of Military Medical Science, Beijing, China;
authors: Lei-Li
authors: LL
authors: Jia
authors: 1. Institute of Disease Control and Prevention, Academy of Military Medical Science, Beijing, China; ; 4. Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Children's Research Institute, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA;
authors: Fei
authors: F
authors: Qiao
authors: 1. Institute of Disease Control and Prevention, Academy of Military Medical Science, Beijing, China;
authors: Xin-Xin
authors: XX
authors: Li
authors: 1. Institute of Disease Control and Prevention, Academy of Military Medical Science, Beijing, China;
authors: Chuan-Fu
authors: CF
authors: Zhang
authors: 1. Institute of Disease Control and Prevention, Academy of Military Medical Science, Beijing, China;
authors: Shen-Long
authors: SL
authors: Li
authors: 1. Institute of Disease Control and Prevention, Academy of Military Medical Science, Beijing, China;
authors: Peng
authors: P
authors: Li
authors: 1. Institute of Disease Control and Prevention, Academy of Military Medical Science, Beijing, China;
authors: Hong-Bin
authors: HB
authors: Song
authors: 5. Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
authors: Qiao
authors: Q
authors: Li
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000635:transmission*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000821:virology*; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D021041:Placental Circulation; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011247:Pregnancy; D012307:Risk Factors
keywords: Hepatitis B virus; fetomaternal cellular traffic.; mother-to-infant transmission; peripheral blood mononuclear cell