Viral Hepatitis in Pregnancy: Problems for the Clinician Dealing with the Infant

1980 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 121-125
Author(s):  
Cladd E. Stevens ◽  
Saul Krugman ◽  
Wolf Szmuness ◽  
R. Palmer Beasley

Stokes and colleagues first described transmission of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection from a mother who was an HBV carrier to an infant born by cesarean section in 1954. Evidence of clinical hepatitis with jaundice, detected at 2 months of age, was later complicated by chronic active hepatitis. The infant died at 18 months of age with advanced cirrhosis of the liver. In the past decade tests have been developed that are specific for hepatitis B antigens and antibodies and they have enabled physicians to identify acute hepatitis B infection during pregnancy, as well as the presence of a chronic carrier state. Thus it has been possible to assess the effect of maternal HBV infection on the newborn infant. The attack rate of HBV infection in infants has been reported to range between 10% and 70%. Infection is usually detectable by 1 to 3 months of age. Although most infections are asymptomatic, fulminant hepatitis is seen on rare occasions. Of major significance is the tendency for the infected infants to become chronic HBV carriers with possible progression to chronic active hepatitis, cirrhosis, and rarely hepatoma. Hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection has not been a problem in the newborn. Hepatitis A is now an uncommon infection among adults in Western countries while in developing areas it is primarily a disease of childhood.

1985 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-11
Author(s):  
Saul Krugman

During the past two decades extraordinary advances in hepatitis research have clarified the etiology and natural history of the disease. At least four types of hepatitis have been identified: A, B, D (delta), and non-A, non-B. Hepatitis A virus (HAV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), and hepatitis D virus (HDV) have been characterized. Serologic tests have been developed to detect the antigens and antibodies associated with these three hepatitis infections. As of the present time, the non-A, non-B viral agents have not been identified. Therefore, non-A, non-B hepatitis is diagnosed by excluding other viral causes of hepatitis, such as hepatitis A virus, hepatitis B virus, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), cytomegalovirus (CMV), and others. A recent report indicating that non-A, non-B hepatitis may be caused by a retrovirus, if confirmed, may provide a specific marker of this infection. The course of viral hepatitis is variable; it may be an asymptomatic, anteric infection, or it may be an acute illness characterized by fever, malaise, anorexia, nausea, abdominal pain, and jaundice. Most patients recover completely, but occasionally the infection may be complicated by chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and, occasionally, by a fulminant fatal outcome. This review will be devoted predominantly to a discussion of the diagnostic and prophylactic aspects of hepatitis A and hepatitis B viral infections.


The Lancet ◽  
1981 ◽  
Vol 318 (8250) ◽  
pp. 765-768 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Brechot ◽  
Jacques Scotto ◽  
Patrick Charnay ◽  
Michelle Hadchouel ◽  
Francoise Degos ◽  
...  

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Garlatti Costa ◽  
Michela Ghersetti ◽  
Silvia Grazioli ◽  
Pietro Casarin

Acute hepatitis A is generally a self-limited disease in healthy subjects within few weeks, but an uncommon type of prolonged and biphasic acute course of hepatitis A infection has been also described. This type of presentation is observed in about 6-10% of patients, but a small number of reports, concerning this topic, are available in literature. In addition hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection in hepatitis B virus (HBV) carriers has rarely been discussed. A 41-year-old Italian man, already known to our Department for HBV infection as an inactive carrier HBsAg(+)ve, experienced a prolonged and biphasic course of acute hepatitis A, lasting about 7 months. In this patient possible factors, causing the second flare of transaminases, were excluded (in particular autoimmunity). Liver biopsy as well HAV RNA search in blood/stools were not performed. In conclusion, the hepatologist should take into account this type of atypical course in patients with HAV-related hepatitis and should promote HAV vaccination in subjects with HBV-chronic hepatitis, to prevent possible life-threatening acute exacerbation of hepatic damage, mainly in HBV-carriers with more severe forms of liver diseases.


PEDIATRICS ◽  
1980 ◽  
Vol 66 (2) ◽  
pp. 269-271
Author(s):  
William F. Balistreri ◽  
Edward Tabor ◽  
Robert J. Gerety

Serologic evidence of hepatitis A virus (HAV) or hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection was sought in 14 patients with biliary atresia and in four patients with neonatal hepatitis; maternal serum was also analyzed. Specific sensitive radioimmunoassays were used to detect HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) and antibody (anti-HBs); complement fixation was used to detect antibody to HBV core antigen (anti-HBc). Antibody to HAV (anti-HAV) was assayed by radioimmunoassay, as well as by immune adherence hemagglutination. There was no evidence of active or past HBV infection in any infant or mother studied. All three infants with detectable anti-HAV were born to mothers similarly anti-HAV positive; serial testing of sera from two of these infants documented disappearance of detectable anti-HAV by 9 months of age. It is unlikely, therefore, that either HAV or HBV had an etiologic role in neonatal cholestasis in these patients. The role of other (non-A, non-B) hepatitis viruses or nonviral etiologies must be investigated.


2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 207-211
Author(s):  
Muayad A Merza ◽  
Sagvan Kareem Taha ◽  
Sara Muhsin Ibrahim ◽  
Ahmed Tayar Sadeeq ◽  
Mahabad R Abdulrahman

Thrombocytopenia is a relatively uncommon extra-hepatic manifestation of uncomplicated chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. This study has two aims: to assess the prevalence of thrombocytopenia in non-cirrhotic patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB); and to determine the association of certain variables with thrombocytopenia in Duhok province. It is a case control study conducted in Azadi Teaching Hospital during June 2016 - May 2019. Chronic active hepatitis B was defined according to the following parameters: the presence of detectable hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in the blood longer than six months, positive or negative HBeAg, HBV-DNA level >2000 IU/ml, elevated ALT, and/or at least moderate histopathological fibrosis. Thrombocytopenia was defined as platelet counts below 150,000/μl. The obtained results were analyzed by entering data into Microsoft Excel 2010. A total of 379 CHB patients and 200 cases as control were enrolled in this study. Their mean ages were 33.62 ± 14.48 and 40.72 ± 18.56 for HBV and control cases, respectively. There were 236 (62.27%) males in the HBV patients and 109 (54.50%) males in the control group. Comparing both groups, significant association was found between HBV and younger age, cigarette smoking, and alcohol consumption. Chronic active hepatitis B without liver cirrhosis was strongly associated with an increased rate of thrombocytopenia. This finding is paramount as it is statistically significant (P = 0.042). Significant association with younger age and Syrian nationality was found more in CHB patients with thrombocytopenia compared to non-thrombocytopenic. In conclusion, chronic active hepatitis B is strongly associated with thrombocytopenia. As hypersplenism resulting from liver cirrhosis was excluded in our patients, the cause of thrombocytopenia is due to other mechanisms. Therefore, it is important to consider CHB in the differential diagnosis of patients presenting with isolated thrombocytopenia. Older age and Syrian nationality were predictors for developing thrombocytopenia in chronic active HBV infection. Asian J. Med. Biol. Res. June 2019, 5(3): 207-211


1983 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 207-213 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel W. Bradley ◽  
James E. Maynard ◽  
Karen A. McCaustland ◽  
Bert L. Murphy ◽  
E. H. Cook ◽  
...  

1978 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 302-305
Author(s):  
A Tzukert ◽  
S G Sandler

Sera from 576 healthy adults were tested for the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and antibody (anti-HBs) to evaluate the role of routine dental care as a factor in the spread of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Serological evidence of prior HBV infection, manifested by acquisition of anti-HBs, was detected in 97 (16.8%) individuals, and 6 (1.0%) were identified to be asymptomatic HBsAg carriers. The anticipated correlations of HBsAg and anti-HBs with age, country of birth, and socioeconomic status were observed in the study population. However, prevalences of both HBsAg and anti-HBs were inversely related to the lifetime total of dental care visits. These findings indicated that, in a region in which the HBsAg carrier state and hepatitis B are prevalent, routine dental care is not identified as an important factor in the spread of HBV infection. While the results do not exclude the obvious possibility that cross-infections with HBV may occur during dental care in specific situations, they indicate that this mode of infection is exceptional.


1999 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 235-237 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chia-Ming Chu ◽  
Chau-Ting Yeh ◽  
Yun-Fan Liaw

The role of viral superinfection in hepatitis B surface antigen carriers with superimposed fulminant (n = 60) versus nonfulminant (n = 90) acute hepatitis was studied. The frequency of hepatitis A virus (HAV) (0 versus 2.2%), HCV (18.3 versus 21.1%), HDV (15.0 versus 7.8%), and HEV (1.7 versus 4.4%) infection showed no significant difference, while simultaneous HCV and HDV infection was significantly more prevalent in the former (8.3 versus 0%). Only 3.6% of fulminant cases and 3.3% of nonfulminant controls were HGV RNA positive.


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