Intrapartum and Postpartum Reactivation of Hepatitis B in Pregnant Patients: a multicentre study

Introduction: Changes in the immune system during pregnancy have been associated with reactivation of the hepatitis B virus in women chronic hepatitis B infection not receiving antiviral therapy. The aim of this study is to examine the development of intrapartum and postpartum hepatitis B reactivation in pregnant patients not being treated for chronic hepatitis B. Material and Methods: Pregnant women diagnosed with chronic hepatitis B and not receiving treatment between 2017 and 2022 in five centres in the east and southeast Turkey included in this study. In order to evaluate biochemical and viral reactivation from intrapartum and postpartum periods, patients with data for at least two periods were included in the study. Results: Evaluations were made on 171 pregnant women diagnosed with chronic hepatitis B. Reactivation occurred in 43 (25.2%) patients, in the postpartum period in 14 (32.35%) and in the intrapartum period in 29 (67.44%). Reactivation occurred most often in the 3rd trimester (n: 13, 30.2%). A significant increase was observed in the alanine aminotransferase levels of the patients with reactivation in the first trimester compared to 6 months prepartum and in the second trimester compared to the first trimester (p=0.038, p=0.039, respectively). The prepartum HBV DNA level (cut-off point =192 IU/ml) of patients with HBeAg negativity was found to have diagnostic power for reactivation of 0.684 (95% CI: 0.575-0.792, p=0.002) with 65.9% sensitivity and 68.6% specificity. Viral reactivation was observed in the first trimester in one patient and hepatitis B surface antibody was seen in the postpartum period. Conclusions: Asymptomatic viral reactivation occurred at the high rate of 25.1% in this series. To be able to identify reactivation as early as possible, pregnant patients should be followed up closely in the intrapartum and postpartum periods.