Hepatitis B e antigen status and hepatitis B DNA levels in women of childbearing age with chronic hepatitis B infection screening for clinical trials.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Perinatal or mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B virus (HBV) results in a high frequency of chronic infection. Risk of mother-to-child transmission is associated with maternal viral factors including hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) positivity and viral load.

AIM:

To investigate associations between age, HBeAg status, HBV DNA levels and genotype in female patients screened for inclusion into two contemporary, randomized HBV trials.

METHODS:

Retrospective analyses focused on differences between women of childbearing age (≤44 years) and older women. Female patients (N = 355; 18-69 years) were included in the analysis: 41.7% of patients were Asian. In total, 44.4% were HBeAg-positive.

RESULTS:

Significantly more women aged ≤44 years were HBeAg-positive compared to women ≥45 years (57.2% versus 27.5%, respectively, p<0.0001), this proportion declined with increasing age. Younger women were significantly more likely to have high HBV viral load (HBV DNA>108 copies mL: ≤44 years 46.0% vs ≥45 years 25.5%, respectively; p<0.0001), and this declined with increasing age. HBeAg positivity was slightly higher in Asian women, associated with a higher proportion of HBV genotypes B and C in this population. There was no obvious relationship between genotype and viral load.

CONCLUSIONS:

Women of childbearing age with CHB are more likely to have high HBV viral load and HBeAg positivity than older women; this likelihood decreases with age. Maternal serological and virological status should therefore be established early in pregnancy, taking into account age and genotype, and a risk-reducing strategy implemented in any patient who is HBeAg positive and has a high viral load.

• Authors: Tram T Tran, Stuart C Gordon, Scott Fung, Phillip Dinh, Leland Yee, Eduardo Bruno Martins, Maria Buti, Patrick Marcellin
• Journal: PloS one (PLoS One) Vol. 10 Issue 3 Pg. e0121632 ( 2015) ISSN: 1932-6203 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 25789483 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Antiviral Agents
• DNA, Viral
• Hepatitis B e Antigens

Topics

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Age Factors
• Aged
• Antiviral Agents (pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• DNA, Viral (metabolism)
• Female
• Genotype
• Hepatitis B e Antigens (metabolism)
• Hepatitis B virus (drug effects, immunology, physiology)
• Hepatitis B, Chronic (drug therapy, genetics)
• Humans
• Middle Aged
• Patient Selection
• Pregnancy
• Retrospective Studies
• Viral Load (drug effects)
• Young Adult