Combined immunoprophylaxis in the prevention of perinatal transmission of hepatitis B and hepatitis D virus infections in Saudi children.

The efficacy of the combined immunoprophylaxis approach (passive plus active immunization) was evaluated in babies born to 52 HBsAg-carrier Saudi mothers, of whom seven (13.5%) were HBeAg-positive and seven were anti-HDV-positive. Newborns were given 100 IU of hepatitis B immune globulin (HBIG) from the Hepuman Berna-Swiss Serum and Vaccine Institute, Berne, and hepatitis B vaccine (5 micrograms) within 12 hours of birth, and the vaccine was given again at 1 and 6 months of age (5 micrograms/injection). After 18 months of follow-up, all but one baby had protective levels of antibody to HBsAg and none of the babies born to anti-HDV-positive carrier mothers showed evidence of HDV infection. These results show that the combined immunoprophylaxis approach is quite successful in protecting against perinatal transmission of HBV and HDV in the Saudi population. Furthermore, early vaccination against HBV will also protect against HDV infection later in life.     

The perinatal transmission of the hepatitis B virus in the Paris area]

HBsAg was detected in 152 pregnant women among 6,605 (2.3%) screened in the prenatal clinics of four hospitals representative of the Paris metropolitan area. In 98% of cases, HBsAg positivity indicated chronic HBV carrier status. Among patients born out of continental France (47% of screened women, 79% of positive women) relative risk of chronic infection was 6 in Asians, 5.5 in Africans, and 4 in French women born in non-continental France. No significant difference in medical history was seen between HBsAg-positive and HBsAg-negative patients, in any of the birthplace groups. In women born out of continental France, number of children and crowding in the home were correlated with HBsAg-positivity; these correlations were not found in French women born in continental France. In non-African, non-Asian women, screening on the basis of medical, social and familial criteria (simulated in this study) would not be effective. Routine screening for HBsAg in pregnancy is advocated. The cost of the prevention of each case of perinatally acquired chronic HBV infection by routine screening followed by prophylactic treatment of a risk neonates was estimated at 180,000 French Francs (35,000 dollars). This approach is the only means of preventing the long-term life-threatening complications of chronic HBV infection in the 600 neonates born each year in France to HBsAg-positive mothers.     

乙型肝炎病毒母婴传播和预防研究进展

乙型肝炎病毒 (HBV)感染引起的相关性疾病仍是当今危害人类健康的重大问题 ,母婴传播是HBV的重要传播途径之一。孕妇体内HBV高复制状态是母婴传播的最危险因素 ,HBV自然突变或在拉米夫定以及主、被动免疫选择压力下发生突变可能是母婴传播、免疫接种失败的重要原因。乙型肝炎免疫球蛋白及乙型肝炎疫苗主、被动联合免疫 ,含有HBV前S2 的新型乙型肝炎疫苗应用以及拉米夫定联合主、被动免疫是阻断HBV母婴传播的有效措施。母乳喂养未必会增加HBV母婴传播的危险。     

Problems of perinatal transmission of hepatitis B

This review of recent publications and of the results of our own research brings our insights into the perinatal transmission of hepatitis B up to date. It includes facts concerning epidemiology, means of transmission, serological detection and problems of infection specific to newborns. The detailed discussion of the issue of prevention is intended to serve the basic objective of counteracting the further spread of the hepatitis B virus by a systematic screening of all pregnants followed by immunoprophylaxis for the newborns.     

Mother-child transmission of hepatitis B virus. State of the problem and prevention]

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a worldwide problem of public health. Mother/child transmission of the virus represents a major factor in maintaining the infection, which is often transmitted during delivery, the risk of transmission of the HBV depending on the degree of maternal infectiosity, the genomic type of the virus, and the rate of maternal antibodies. Evolution towards chronicity of the infected newborn is frequent. The available means to prevent the mother/child transmission of the virus are efficient. Once HBV maternal infection is diagnosed during pregnancy, joint administration of vaccine and specific immunoglobulins to the baby in the early neonatal period efficiently prevent the mother/child transmission of the virus.     

Lack of perinatal transmission of hepatitis B virus infection in Senegal, West Africa

Between 1977 and 1980, 1442 pregnant women in Thies, Senegal, were tested for serologic markers of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Of these, 9.8% were HBsAg(+), 59.9% were anti-HBs(+), and 15.6% had anti-HBc alone. Of 116 HBsAg(+) pregnant women, only 19.8% were HBeAg(+), a much lower proportion of infectious carriers than seen in Asian populations. Cord blood from 1353 babies was HBsAg(-), implying that the babies were not infected prior to birth. Four hundred sixty-two babies, including 88 born to HBsAg(+) mothers, were observed for 2 weeks to 38 months after birth. In contrast to observations in Asia, none of the babies became HBsAg(+) before 5 months of age, and only three of the 16 born to HBeAg(+) mothers became HBsAg(+) within the first year of life; all three developed chronic infections (i.e., HBsAg(+) for greater than or equal to 6 months. In the second year of life, six of 34 babies born to HBsAg(+), HBeAg(-)/anti-HBe(-) mothers became infected with HBV, and four of the six developed chronic infections. During the first 3 years of life, infections occurred at a higher rate in infants born to HBsAg(+) (17%) than to HBsAg(-) (4%) women. The latter group of infants included 4.0% of those born to anti-HBs(+) mothers, 4.6% born to anti-HBcAg(+), and 3.2% born to uninfected women. These observations indicate that HBV infections in Senegal usually do not occur perinatally, but do occur at high incidence later in infancy and childhood. Such infections can be prevented by the use of hepatitis B vaccine alone; administration of hepatitis B immune globulin should not be needed.     

乙型肝炎病毒DNA定量在母婴传播中的意义

目的　探讨孕妇不同血清HBV DNA含量对HBV母婴传播的影响。方法　应用荧光定量PCR技术检测 6 9对母婴血清HBV DNA含量 (所测数据经对数转换 ) ,对孕妇不同血清HBV DNA含量进行分组。结果　孕妇HBV DNA含量为 (6 3± 1 9)拷贝 /ml,婴儿为 (4 8± 2 0 )拷贝 /ml,两者之间呈正相关 (r=0 310 ,P <0 0 1)。 6 9例婴儿中 ,45例HBV DNA定性和 (或 )HBV血清学检查异常 ,提示HBV母婴垂直传播 ,传播率为 6 5 %;HBV母婴传播率随孕妇血清HBV DNA浓度增高而增高 ;根据孕妇血清HBV DNA含量分别向下和向上累计分析 ,显示孕妇HBV DNA含量在 5 0、6 0和 7 0拷贝 /ml三个界面的上下浓度区域 ,HBV母婴传播率差异有显著性 ,其差值分别为 32 %、34 %和 2 8%。本组资料中 ,孕妇HBeAg阳性 19例 ,HBsAb阳性 17例 ,HBeAg阳性组HBV DNA[(7 6± 1 3)拷贝 /ml]明显高于阴性组 [(5 8± 1 9)拷贝 /ml],其HBV母婴传播率 (90 %)明显高于阴性组 (5 6 %) ;HBsAb阳性组HBV DNA含量 [(5 3± 1 6 )拷贝 /ml]明显低于阴性组 [(6 6± 1 9)拷贝 /ml],HBV母婴传播率 (2 9%)也明显低于阴性组 (77%)。同时 ,HBeAg阳性主要分布在HBV DNA测定值较高的孕妇中 ,HbsAb阳性主要分布在HBV DNA测定值较低的孕妇组。结论　HBV母婴传播率受孕妇血清H     

Hepatitis B virus perinatal transmission among Arab women

One thousand five hundred and fifty-four Arab women were screened at delivery for the presence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) antigenaemia in their sera. Forty-five or 2.9% were found to be positive. Only three of 41 (7.3%) of these hepatitis B surface antigen-positive (HbsAg) mothers were found to be positive for the presence of hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg), 27 (65.8%) had anti-HBe and the remaining 11 (26.8%) had neither HBeAg nor its corresponding antibody. These results, therefore, predicted a low rate of transmission of virus from mother to newborn. Follow-up for 4-13 months after delivery on 14 of these HBsAG-positive mothers and their infants indicated that in only one infant born to an HBeAg-positive mother did HBV antigenaemia develop. Another infant died from undetermined causes. Therefore, HBV perinatal transmission among Arabs, unlike that among populations in Southeast Asia, does not appear to contribute in an important way to the pool of carriers in this population.     

乙型肝炎病毒携带母亲母乳喂养安全性探讨

目的 观察乙型肝炎病毒携带母亲母乳喂养的安全性.方法 入选乙型肝炎病毒携带母亲的足月健康新生儿,所有婴儿均接种乙肝疫苗,或联合使用乙肝免疫球蛋白;按照母亲选择的不同喂养方式,分为母乳喂养或配方奶喂养组;婴儿出生时,3、7、12月龄,分别检测乙型肝炎抗原和抗体.结果 母乳喂养与配方奶喂养婴儿比较,HBsAg阳性率、抗-HBs阳性率以及慢性HBV感染的差异均无统计学意义(P均＞ 0.05).结论在疫苗和乙肝免疫球蛋白的联合免疫下,乙肝病毒携带母亲的母乳喂养是安全的.     

Perinatal hepatitis B virus transmission]

Using the highly sensitive Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA has already been detected in many patients negative for all other serological HBV markers [12]. But yet, the relevance of these findings as a marker of infectivity has not been determined. We therefore have used the PCR to examine the perinatal route of HBV transmission by testing sera from 109 mother-child pairs in Yaoundé, Cameroon. HBV-DNA was detected in 25 (23%) of the mother's sera from which only 5 were positive for HBsAg. At the age of 6 months only one baby out of 25 who could be retested had become positive for HBV-DNA, HBsAg, and HBeAg. Low serum HBV-DNA levels which are still detectable by the PCR therefore seem not to be associated with a high risk of perinatal HBV transmission.     

Significance of measurement of pre-S2 antigen for the prevention of vertical transmission of hepatitis B virus in infants born to HBsAg carrier mothers

Terazawa S, Kondo N, Orii T. Significance of measurement of pre-S2 antigen for the prevention of vertical transmission of hepatitis B virus in infants born to HBsAg carrier mothers. Acta Pædiatr 1994;83:30–4. Stockholm. ISSN 0803–5253
The significance of pre-S2 antigen (pre-S2 Ag) as a marker of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, especially in infants born to HBsAg carrier mothers who are HBeAg-negative or HBeAg-positive, was evaluated. Pre-S2 Ag was measured by enzyme immunoassay. HBsAg carrier mothers who were HBeAg-negative and HBeAb-positive were divided into two groups: group A, mothers whose infants were not infected with HBV ( n = 10) and group B, mothers whose infants were infected with HBV ( n = 13). Absorption rates of pre-S2 Ag in group A and B were 0.09 k 0.04 and 1.36 ± 0.95, respectively. The values for pre-S2 Ag in group B were significantly higher than those in group A. Values for pre-S2 Ag among HBsAg carrier mothers who were HBeAg-positive and HBeAb-negative were also measured by reversc passive hemagglutination. In the same way, HBsAg carrier mothers who were HBeAg-positive and HBeAb-negativc were divided into two groups: group C, mothers whose infants did not become HBsAg carriers ( n = 15) and group D, mothers whose infants became HBsAg carriers (n = 11). The titers of pre-S2 Ag (reverse passive hemagglutination) in group C and D were 2^{5.75 ± 1.68} and 2^10.45±^1.69, respectively. The values for pre-S2 Ag in group D were significantly higher than those in group C. The values for pre-S2 Ag as markers of infectivity became higher with increasing amounts of HBV-DNA. Therefore, our results show that measurement of pre-S2 Ag in HBsAg carrier mothers who are HBeAg or HBeAb-positive is useful in the detection of high-risk groups of vertical transmission of HBV.     

预防乙型肝炎病毒母婴传播的随机对照研究

目的探讨乙肝免疫球蛋白（HBIG）预防乙型肝炎病毒（HBV）母婴垂直传播的效果。方法以2001年1月至2005年5月在台州医院产科初次进行妊娠健康检查,HBsAg测定阳性或HBsAg、HBeAg均阳性孕妇作为研究对象,共279例。将单纯HBsAg阳性孕妇与HBsAg、HBeAg双阳性孕妇分别应用随机数表方法随机分组,分别为单阳注射组（n=80）、单阳对照组（n=60）、双阳注射组（n=79）、双阳对照组（n=60）。单阳注射组、双阳注射组于妊娠加周开始肌肉注射HBIG 200U,每4周注射1次,直至临产。两对照组不注射HBIG。4组孕妇所产婴儿,除常规接种乙肝疫苗外,均于出生后16h内和2周肌肉注射HBIG。然后随访并测定婴儿HBsAg。结果单阳注射组、单阳对照组、双阳注射组、双阳对照组所生婴儿HBsAg感染率分别为3％、13％、10％、32％。单阳注射组与单阳对照组之间（x^2=6．07,P〈0．05）,以及双阳注射组与双阳对照组之间婴儿HBsAg感染率（x^2=10．11,P〈0．01）均有统计学意义,注射HBIG组,对单纯HBsAg阳性孕妇及HBsAg、HBeAg双阳性孕妇,出生婴儿HBsAg感染率均显著低于对照组;单阳注射组与双阳注射组之间婴儿HBsAg感染率差异亦有统计学意义,说明HBIG对单纯HBsAg阳性孕妇预防效果优于HBsAg、HBeAg双阳性孕妇。结论HBIG能有效预防母婴传播,降低HBV感染率。因此,妊娠妇女应及时进行健康检查,发现HBV感染阳性,及时采取注射HBIG等有效措施,以促进优生优育。