Follow-Up of Newborns with Hepatitis B Antigenemia.

Abstract

There is a need for data to evaluate hepatitis B antigenemia in newborns of mothers with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. This study aims to investigate this. Newborns with positive serum hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and/or e antigen (HBeAg) were enrolled in the study. One hundredand one newborns from 98 HBV-infected mothers were included. Median maternal serum HBV DNA level was 23,200IU/mL at delivery. Among the newborns, 48 were boys and 53 were girls. Mean birth weight was 3190.5g. Twenty-one newborns had concurrent seropositive HBsAg and HBeAg, nine had seropositive HBsAg and seronegative HBeAg, and 71 had seronegative HBsAg and seropositive HBeAg. Eight newborns had detectable serum HBV DNA. In the follow-up, serum HBsAg and HBeAg in the newborns with undetectable HBV DNA became negative before 6months of age. Two infants with detectable HBV DNA were diagnosed with immunoprophylaxis failure, one of whom developed active hepatitis at 3months of age. Liver biopsy in this case showed significant interface hepatitis, fibrous septa formation, and expansion of portal areas with occasional bridging fibrosis. Concurrent HBV viremia and antigenemia in newborns of HBV-infected mothers requires attention, while antigenemia without viremia is often transient.