Screening of pregnant women for hepatitis B markers in a French Provincial University Hospital (Limoges) during 15 years.

During the 15 years from January 1984 to December 1998 the Limoges University Hospital screened 22,859 pregnant patients for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBs Ag) and identified 149 positives. The overall prevalence (0.65%) was intermediate between prevalences observed among women of French origin (0.29%), French West Indies islands (5.68%) and of foreign origin particulary South East Asian origin (7.14%) and Sub Saharan African origin (6.52%). Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) replication markers was detected with relative low frequence (HBe Ag: 14.4%; HBV-DNA: 13.7-20%) among HBs Ag positive mothers. Markers of delta hepatitis virus was found among 10.5% of the HBs Ag carrier pregnant women. During the 15 years study period variations of the global prevalence were not statistically significant. Universal prenatal screening and infant immunisation could greatly contribute to the control of HBV infection if the polemic about the hepatitis B vaccination recently propagated in France will not have a negative effect on the acceptance and national programme of vaccination.

[Seroprevalence of hepatitis A in hospitalized patients in Limoges University Hospital]. / Séroprévalence de l'hépatite A chez les malades hospitalisés au Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Limoges.

AIM: Age-specific prevalence of hepatitis A virus (HAV) antibodies (IgG and IgM anti HAV). METHODS: For eight years between 1994 and 2002, 15 329 hospitalized patients were tested. RESULTS: The prevalence of anti HAV according to age group was as follows: 20 to 29: 28.5%; 30 to 39: 47.4%; 40 to 49: 64.8%; 50 to 59: 82.1%; more than 90% after 60 years old and 97% in patients older than 80. This was not a cross sectional seroepidemiological investigation because serum samples were selected by prescription especially among children. Recent HAV infections as shown by IgM positivity (136 patients) was observed among all age groups, particularly before ten years old (28.7%), but was still significant after sixty (19.8%). CONCLUSION: The age-specific seroprevalence of HAV antibodies compared with previous French prevalence data revealed a good correlation with results obtained in West-Central region and in national investigations in general populations but more elevated than observed in French recruits.