Abstract
Objective To determine whether chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, as evidenced by serum levels of HBsAg and HBV DNA, is a risk factor for spontaneous preterm birth (SPB). Method The prevalence of HBV infection and the SPB rate were prospectively investigated among 1826 pregnant women, 30.89% Albanian and the remainder of other European origins. Results Overall, 70 (3.8%) of the women were chronically infected with HBV. HBsAg status was strongly linked to SPB, which incurred to 5 (7.3%) of 64 women with circulating HBsAg compared with 28 (1.6%) of 1703 without current HBV infection (odds ratio, 5.2; P = 0.007). SPB, however, was linked neither to HBsAg levels, nor to HBV DNA levels, nor to the presence or absence of viremia. Conclusion Pregnant women were found to be at higher risk for SPB if they had circulating HBsAg, and the risk did not seem to be influenced by the levels of HBsAg or HBV DNA.
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