Acute hepatitis B in pregnancy with surprisingly rapid clearance of serum HBs antigen associated with a favourable outcome.
Int J Infect Dis
; 118: 141-143, 2022 May.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1838856
ABSTRACT
Acute hepatitis B (AHB) is usually asymptomatic, but it can progress to chronic hepatitis B (HB) defined by HB surface antigen (HBsAg) persisting beyond 6 months. Nevertheless, the delay of HBsAg seroclearance is not well-defined. During pregnancy, the immune system of the pregnant women is altered and delayed HBsAg loss can be observed, leading to chronic infection. Here, we present an uncommon case of AHB in a pregnant woman in whom rapid HBsAg seroclearance (52 days after AHB) was associated with a favourable outcome (no injury to liver). This patient received tenofovir disoproxil fumarate promptly after diagnosis. The case raises questions about the use of antiviral treatment in AHB. This is generally not recommended in AHB, but it would be potentially useful in pregnant women to reduce the risk of chronic HB infection and could also prevent the transmission of the maternal precore mutation, thus reducing the significant risk of fulminant hepatitis in the infant. This case also highlights the impact of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotype and precore/core mutations on the clinical course of the disease.
Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Hepatitis B, Chronic
/
Hepatitis B
Type of study:
Case report
/
Diagnostic study
/
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
Topics:
Long Covid
Limits:
Female
/
Humans
/
Infant
/
Pregnancy
Language:
English
Journal:
Int J Infect Dis
Journal subject:
Communicable Diseases
Year:
2022
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
J.ijid.2022.02.053
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