FREQUENCY OF ANTI-HCV, HBsAg AND RELATED RISK FACTORS IN PREGNANT WOMEN AT NISHTAR HOSPITAL, MULTAN

Authors

  • Ijaz -ul-Haque Taseer
  • Fozia Ishaq
  • Laiq Hussain
  • Sohail Safdar
  • M Ahsanullah
  • Mirbahar Mirbahar
  • Shakeel A. Faiz

Abstract

Background: Viral hepatitis is a global issue. Among the hepatitis viruses hepatitis B and C areimportant in South Asia including Pakistan. There are various modes of transmission of these viruses.Vertical transmission is also gaining importance. Antepartum screening for HBV and HCV would helpthe infected women for appropriate antiviral therapy at appropriate time as well as for taking propercare of the newborns. The present study was designed to see the frequency of HBsAg and anti-HCV inpregnant women at Nishtar Hospital, Multan. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study carried outusing non-probability purposive sampling technique. The period of the study was from June 2006 toAugust 2007. Five hundred (500) pregnant women attending outpatient department of Gynaecologyand Obstetrics were included. Informed consent was taken. A specially designed proforma was filled in.Anti-HCV and HBsAg were tested by device method. Data were analyzed on SPSS-11. Results: Outof 500 pregnant women 35 (7.00%) were found to be anti-HCV positive and 23 (4.60%) were positivefor HBsAg. Mean age was 26.7±4.8 years. Majority of the patients 263 (52.60%) were in the age group26–35 years. 138 (27.60%) women were nulliparous and 282 (56.40%) were para 1–4 and anti-HCVand HBsAg were common in this parity group. Only 80 (16.00%) women were para 5 or more. Allanti-HCV and HBsAg positive women were house-wives. Most of them were belonging to rural areashaving poor socio-economic status. Among 35 anti-HCV positive women, 20 (57.14%) had history ofprevious surgery, while 13 (37.14%) had history of multiple injections, 5 (14.28%) received bloodtransfusion, 4 (11.42%) had ear/nose piercing while tattooing was seen in only 2 (5.71%). Among 23HBsAg positive women, 10 (43.47%) had history of previous surgery. History of multiple injectionswas present in 6 (26.08%) patients, 4 (17.39%) patients had history of blood transfusion, tattooing,ear/nose piercing, history of dental procedure, history of sharing needles was observed in 1 each.Conclusion: Frequency of anti-HCV is more common than HBsAg in our study population. Previoushistory of surgery, multiple injection therapy and blood transfusion were observed as risk factorsamong anti-HCV and HBsAg positive pregnant women.Keywords: Anti-HCV, HBsAg, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, pregnancy

References

National Survey on Prevalence of Hepatitis B & C in General

Population of Pakistan [online] 2007. Available from URL:

http://www.pmrc.org.pk/hepatitisbc.htm.

Khokhar N, Gill ML, Malik GJ. General seroprevalence of

Hepatitis C and Hepatitis B virus infection in population. J

Coll Physicians Surg Pak 2004;14:534–6

Sherlock S, Dooley J. Eds. Diseases of the liver and biliary

system. 11th edition, Chapter 17. 2002. p.290.

Sherlock S, Dooley J. Eds. Diseases of the liver and biliary

system. 11th edition, Chapter 18. 2002. p.307–8.

Mast EE, Weinbaum CM, Fiore AE, Alter MJ, Bell BP,

Finelli L. et al. A comprehensive immunization strategy to

eliminate transmission of hepatitis B virus infection in the

United States: recommendations of the Advisory Committee

on Immunization Practices (ACIP) Part II: immunization of

adults. MMWR Recomm Rep 2006;55:1–33.

Vandelli C, Renzo F, Romano L, Tisminetzky S, De Palma

M, Stroffolini T. et al. Lack of evidence of sexual

transmission of hepatitis C among monogamous couples:

results of a 10-year prospective follow-up study. Am J

Gastroenterol 2004;99:855–9.

Davis GL, Hepatitis C. In: Schiff’s Diseases of the liver. 10th

ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins; 2007.

p.807–63.

Bohidar NP. Hepatitis B virus infection in pregnancy. Hep B

Annual 2004;1(1):199–209.

Kazmi K, Ghafoor A, Qureshi AW. Mother infant

transmission of Hepatitis B in Pakistan. Pak J Med Res

;42(4):52–6.

Kumar A, Sharma KA, Gupta RK, Chakaravati A.

Prevalence and risk factors for Hepatitis C virus among

pregnant women. Indian J Med Res 2007;126:211–5.

Zafar MA, Mohsin A, Hussain I, Shah AA. Prevalence of

Hepatitis C among pregnant women. J Surg Pak

;6(2):32–3.

Jaffery T, Tariq N, Ayub R, Yawar A. Frequency of Hepatitis

C and Pregnancy outcome. J Coll Physicians Surg Pak

;15:716–9.

Batool A, Bano KA, Khan MI, Hussain R. Antenatal

screening of women for Hepatitis B and C in an out-patient

department. J Dow Uni Health Sci 2008; 2(1):32–5.

Kassem AS, Nawawy AA, Massoud MN, Nazzar SY, Sobhi

EM. Prevalence of Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and its

vertical transmission in Egyptian pregnant women and their

new borns. J Trop Pediatr 2000;46:231–3.

Ward C, Williams GT, Cotzias T, Hargreaves S, Regan L

Foster GR. Prevalence of Hepatitis C among pregnant

women attending an inner London Obstetric department:

Uptake and acceptability of named antenatal testing. Gut

;47:277–80.

Idrees M, Lal A, Naseem M, Khalid M. High prevalence of

Hepatitis C virus infection in larger province of Pakistan. J

Digestive Dis 2008;9(2): 95–103.

Conte D, Fraquelli M, Prati D, Colucci A, Minola E.

Prevalence and clinical course of Hepatitis C virus (HCV)

infection and rate of HCV vertical transmission in a cohort of

, 250 pregnant women. Hepatology 2000;31:751–5.

Published

2010-03-01