ABSTRACT
A total of 5,366 pregnant Turkish women were screened for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and 225 (4.2%) of them were found to be positive. Hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) was detected in 6.2% of HBsAg-positive pregnant women. the overall prevalence of HBsAg and antibody to HBsAg (anti-HBs) among the spouses, previous children, mothers and first degree relatives of the HBsAg-positive pregnant women was 56%, 49%, 79% and 74% respectively. The prevalence of HBsAg is thus high in pregnant Turkish women with familial clustering of hepatitis B virus infection.
Subject(s)
Hepatitis B Surface Antigens/blood , Hepatitis B/epidemiology , Pregnancy Complications, Infectious/epidemiology , Adult , Disease Transmission, Infectious/prevention & control , Female , Hepatitis B/immunology , Hepatitis B/transmission , Hepatitis B Antibodies/blood , Hepatitis B e Antigens/blood , Humans , Infant , Infant, Newborn , Male , Pregnancy , Pregnancy Complications, Infectious/immunology , Turkey/epidemiologyABSTRACT
In this study, we have tried to determine the age-specific seroprevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and to make some conclusions about the mode of transmission and vaccination strategy which should be chosen in Turkey. Eight hundred and one patients between the ages of six months and 60 years of age were included in this study. According to the HBV serologic markers, (HBsAg, Anti-HBc and Anti-HBs), HBsAg positivity and HBV exposure rates were 6.5% and 32.8%, respectively. HBsAg positivity was 6.6% under one year of age. The highest rate of HBsAg positivity was in the 6-10 year age-group (p < 0.05). The prevalence of total hepatitis B virus seropositivity increased with age (p < 0.05). The HBV exposure rate was higher in males than in females (p < 0.05). It was concluded that HBV infection is an important infection in Turkey and is acquired very early in life. A mass hepatitis B vaccination strategy should be thus chosen in Turkey.
Subject(s)
Hepatitis B/epidemiology , Adolescent , Adult , Age Distribution , Child , Child, Preschool , Disease Transmission, Infectious , Female , Hepatitis B/prevention & control , Hepatitis B/transmission , Humans , Immunization Programs , Infant , Male , Middle Aged , Prevalence , Seroepidemiologic Studies , Turkey/epidemiologyABSTRACT
Seventy-eight infants born to HBsAg-positive women were randomly assigned to receive either the plasma-derived vaccine or 0.5 ml (10 micrograms HBsAg) yeast-derived recombinant hepatitis B vaccine within 24 hours of birth, simultaneously with hepatitis B hyperimmunoglobulin. In 67 infants who received the plasma-derived vaccine, one of the doses of 0.5 ml (25 micrograms HBsAg) was used randomly. In all of the infants, the second and third doses of both vaccines were given at one and two months of age, respectively. The booster doses were given at 12 month of age in all of the infants. These vaccinated infants were followed up until 13 months of age. There were differences in the seroconversion rates with different vaccines and doses. The recipients of the half-dose of plasma-derived vaccine showed lower seroconversion rates than the others, and the newborns in this group showed more seronegativity (13.2%) than the others (p < 0.05). The lowest anti-HBs geometric mean titers (GMTs) were obtained in newborns vaccinated with Hevac B 0.5 ml. Sixty percent of the anti-HBs GMTs in this group were under 100 mlU/ml. There were statistically significant differences between males and females in anti-HBs seronegativity rates, with males having lower anti-HBs GMTs than females. The difference was particularly significant among male newborns vaccinated with a half-dose of plasma-derived vaccine.
