Comparison of hepatitis B surface antigen, anti-hepatitis B surface, and anti-hepatitis C virus prevalence in Syrian refugee pregnant women and Turkish pregnant women

Abstract

In this study, we aimed to determine and compare hepatitis B surface antigen level, anti-hepatitis B surface, and anti-hepatitis C virus positivity in Turkish pregnant women and Syrian refugee pregnant women residing in Turkey. The study was conducted on Syrian refugee pregnant women aged 15-45 years and Turkish pregnant women who applied to state hospital's gynecology and obstetrics outpatient clinics between April 30, 2012, and April 30, 2022. In our study, 136,376 pregnant women (104,629 Turkish and 31,747 Syrian) tested for hepatitis B surface antigen, 72,035 pregnant women (53,070 Turkish and 18,965 Syrian) tested for anti-hepatitis B surface, and 120,611 pregnant women (92,514 Turkish and 28,097 Syrian) tested for anti-hepatitis C virus were included. The patients were divided into six groups for hepatitis B surface antigen, anti-hepatitis B surface, and anti-hepatitis C virus results based on their age: <20 years, 20-24 years, 25-29 years, 30-34 years, 35-39 years, and >40 years. For each age group, the results of Syrian refugee pregnant women and Turkish pregnant women were compared. Hepatitis B surface antigen positivity and anti-hepatitis B surface positivity were significantly higher in Turkish pregnant women compared to Syrian refugee pregnant women. Anti-hepatitis C virus positivity was significantly higher in Syrian refugee pregnant women compared to Turkish pregnant women. Based on the available data, we think that hepatitis B surface antigen, anti-hepatitis B surface, and anti-hepatitis C virus tests should be done routinely for pregnant women. Raising awareness among Syrian refugees about the hepatitis B virus vaccine as well as encouraging them to be vaccinated may reduce the negative impact of migration.