Abstract

Quantification of viral antigens and viral loads in human milk samples from mothers infected with hepatitis B virus is largely unknown. The aim of the study was to quantitatively measure the levels of viral antigens and deoxyribonucleic acid of hepatitis B virus in human milk from mothers infected with hepatitis B virus. Fifty-five pairs of milk and serum samples from mothers with positive hepatitis B surface antigen, including 11 hepatitis B e antigen positive, were quantitatively tested to measure viral antigens by microparticle enzyme immunoassay and viral loads by real-time polymerase chain reaction assay. The median level of hepatitis B surface antigen in the human milk samples of mothers with positive or negative hepatitis B e antigen was each lower than that in the sera, respectively (1.10 vs. 4.32 log10 IU/ml, t = 10.693, p < .001; -0.77 vs. 2.53 log10 IU/ml, t = -25.135, p < .001). The titers of hepatitis B surface antigen or hepatitis B e antigen in the human milk samples were each correlated with that in maternal serum. The detectable level of deoxyribonucleic acid of hepatitis B virus in human milk ranged from 1.42-5.27 log10 IU/ml, whereas that in maternal sera was 1.44-8.66 log10 IU/ml. The viral level in human milk was not correlated with that in maternal circulation. The present study data illustrate the relatively low titers of viral markers in the milk of mothers with positive hepatitis B surface antigen.

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