Prevalence of Ac Anti-Hbc Alone Among Pregnant Women at the Yaounde University Teaching Hospital

Introduction: Infection with the Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a major public health issue; however, Asia and sub-Saharan Africa are the most affected regions. Occult hepatitis B Infection (OBI) refers to the presence of HBV DNA in the serum and/or liver of a patient despite negative HBsAg. It is typically an asymptomatic clinical form. Its reactivation is rare and generally occurs in immunocompromised individuals, such as those infected with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and pregnant women. Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of anti-HBc antibodies (anti-HBc Ab) among pregnant women at the Yaoundé University Teaching Hospital (YUTH). Methodology: A prospective, cross-sectional, single-center study was conducted from September 17, 2018, to February 25, 2019, involving 102 pregnant women aged 15 to 44 years. Sociodemographic, clinical data, and risk factors were collected; samples were also taken and analyzed using immunochromatographic methods and PCR. A total of 102 pregnant women were tested for HBV markers (HBs antigen and anti-HBc antibody). Only samples containing anti-HBc antibodies were used for the search for HBV DNA. Statistical analysis was performed using Microsoft Excel 2019 and he statistical analysis used the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22.0. A p-value of Results: Out of the 102 pregnant women recruited, 91 tested negative for the HBs antigen, among which 17 were carriers of only the anti-HBc antibody. Of these, 8 were positive for HBV DNA, and 8 pregnant women presented with occult hepatitis B. Conclusion and Suggestions: The presence of the anti-HBc antibody and HBV DNA should be considered as markers of occult hepatitis B. It is imperative to implement systematic screening for these HBV markers to improve the management of pregnant women and their newborns, in order to prevent vertical transmission (mother-to-child).