Dataset Information

Hepatitis C Virus Antibody Screening in a Cohort of Pregnant Women: Identifying Seroprevalence and Risk Factors.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To describe the prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibody, evaluate current risk factors associated with HCV antibody positivity, and identify novel composite risk factors for identification of groups most likely to demonstrate HCV antibody seropositivity in an obstetric population from 2012 to 2015.

Methods

The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units Network initiated an observational study of mother-to-child transmission of HCV in 2012 that included offering HCV antibody screening to their entire obstetric population. Women presenting for prenatal care before 23 weeks of gestation without a known multifetal gestation were eligible. For each woman who was HCV antibody-positive, two women at similar gestational age who were HCV antibody-negative were identified and included for comparison. Risk factors were evaluated by patient interview and chart review. Women in the case group were identified to have a signal-to-cutoff value of at least 5 on the Abbott ARCHITECT platform. RNA status was evaluated for women in the case group.

Results

Of 106,842 women screened for the HCV antibody, 254 had positive results. The HCV antibody seroprevalence rate was 2.4 cases per 1,000 women (95% CI 2.1-2.7). One hundred thirty-one women in the case group and 251 women in the control group were included in the case-control analysis. Factors associated with HCV antibody positivity included injection drug use (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 22.9, 95% CI 8.2-64.0), blood transfusion (aOR 3.7, 95% CI 1.3-10.4), having a partner with HCV (aOR 6.3, 95% CI 1.8-22.6), more than three lifetime sexual partners (aOR 5.3, 95% CI 1.4-19.8), and smoking (aOR 2.4, 95% CI 1.2-4.6). A composite of any of these potential risk factors provided the highest sensitivity for detecting HCV antibody (75/82 cases, 91%).

Conclusion

In this cohort, the seroprevalence of HCV antibody was low, and the current risk factors for HCV screening were not identified. These findings may be useful in defining new strategies for identifying mothers with the HCV antibody and the neonates susceptible to maternal transmission of HCV.

Clinical trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01959321.

SUBMITTER: Prasad M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7745741 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:BackgroundHepatitis B virus infection is a major public health problem among pregnant women worldwide. Hepatitis B virus is highly infectious and is the most common cause of morbidity and mortality among pregnant women, and evidence is scarce on the pooled seroprevalence of hepatitis B virus in Ethiopia.ObjectivesThis study aimed to investigate the pooled seroprevalence of hepatitis B virus infection and factors associated with pregnant women in Ethiopia.DesignA systematic review and meta-analysis was employed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews.Data sourcesSearches were carried out in biomedical databases such as PubMed/Medline, Science Direct, Web of Science, Google Scholar, Hinari, and the Cochrane Library published in English until June 2023.MethodsObservational study designs were selected. Endnote citation manager was used to collect and organize the search outcomes and remove duplicate articles. The data were extracted using a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and exported to STATA 16.0 software for the analysis.ResultsA total of 48 research articles were included in the final analysis. The pooled estimated sero prevalence of hepatitis B virus infection among pregnant women in Ethiopia was 5.78% (95% confidence interval = 5.14, 6.43). History of abortion (odds ratio = 6.56, 95% confidence interval = 4.88, 8.90), history of blood transfusion (odds ratio = 5.74, 95% confidence interval = 4.04, 8.16), history of hospitalization (odds ratio = 5.40, 95% confidence interval = 3.68, 7.94), history of multiple sexual partner (odds ratio = 5.80, 95% confidence interval = 3.71, 9.05), history of surgical procedure (odds ratio = 7.39, 95% confidence interval = 4.16, 13.14), history of tattooing (odds ratio = 4.59, 95% confidence interval = 2.83, 7.43), and history of tooth extraction (odds ratio = 4.46, 95% confidence interval = 2.42, 8.22) were significantly associated with hepatitis B virus infection among pregnant women in Ethiopia.ConclusionThe overall pooled prevalence of hepatitis B virus infection among pregnant women in Ethiopia is relatively high. Having a history of abortion, blood transfusion, hospitalization, multiple sexual partners, surgical procedures, tattooing, and tooth extraction were found to be risk factors for hepatitis B virus. Therefore, extensive screening programs for hepatitis B virus in all pregnant women in Ethiopia are needed to prevent further infection and decrease the vertical transmission caused by the disease.Registration numberPROSPERO CRD: 42023438522.

Project description:BackgroundViral hepatitis is an emerging global health problem. A pregnant mother infected with the hepatitis B virus has a high rate of vertical transmission, causing adverse fetal and neonatal outcomes. Understanding the magnitude of the problem and associated factors has paramount importance to avert such adverse fetal and neonatal outcomes. Therefore, the main aim of this study was to assess the seroprevalence of hepatitis B virus and associated factors among pregnant women attending antenatal care clinics at public health facilities in Nekemte town.MethodsAn institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 277 pregnant women attending antenatal care at public health facilities in Nekemte town from June 1 to July 30, 2020. All public health institutions in Nekemte town (two hospitals and one health center) were recruited, and study participants were selected by using a systematic sampling method. The data were collected using pretested and structured questionnaires using a face-to-face interview, and a blood sample was collected to test for hepatitis B surface antigen. Logistic regression analysis was employed to identify factors significantly associated with hepatitis B virus infection. Variables with a p value < 0.05 were considered statistically significant predictors of the outcome variable.ResultThe overall seroprevalence of hepatitis B virus infection was 16 (5.8%) [95% CI: 3.2-8.7], which indicates intermediate endemicity. History of abortion (AOR =6.155; 95% CI: 1.780, 21.291), history of contact with hepatitis patient (AOR =7.178; 95% CI: 1.702, 30.279), and having multiple sexual partners (AOR =6.788; 95% CI: 1.701, 27.086) had a statistically significant association with hepatitis B surface antigen seropositivity.ConclusionHepatitis B virus seroprevalence among pregnant women in this study shows intermediate endemicity. Therefore, health professionals should provide health information on the risk of having multiple sexual partners, risk factors of unprotected contact with hepatitis patients, and abortion for pregnant women during their antenatal care visits.