braz j infect dis. 2012; 16(6) :517–520 The Brazilian Journal of INFECTIOUS DISEASES www.elsevier.com/locate/bjid Original article Prevalence of hepatitis B among pregnant women assisted at the public maternity hospitals of São Luís, Maranhão, Brazil Marinilde Teles Souza a , Tainá Lima Reis de Pinho b , Max Diego Cruz Santos a , Alexsandro dos Santos a , Vera Lúcia Monteiro b , Lena Maria Barros Fonsêca b , Pedro Antônio Muniz Ferreira a , Adalgisa de Souza Paiva Ferreira b,* a Center of Clinical Research, Universidade Federal do Maranhão (UFMA), São Luís, MA, Brazil b University Hospital, UFMA, São Luís, MA, Brazil article info Article history: Received 17 May 2012 Accepted 11 July 2012 Available online 16 November 2012 Keywords: Pregnant Hepatitis B HBV-DNA abstract Introduction: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is an important worldwide public health prob- lem. In Brazil, the Ministry of Health estimates that 15% of the population has had contact with HBV, and that the mean rate of chronic carriers in Northeastern Brazil is around 0.5%. Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of HBV markers in pregnant women receiving prenatal care at the public maternity hospitals of São Luís. Methods: Demographical and epidemiological data were collected from 541 pregnant women according to the research protocol. Blood samples were collected, and the anti-HBc test was performed first. If positive, the sample was subsequently tested for HBsAg and anti-HBs. All HBsAg and/or anti-HBc positive samples were additionally tested for HBV-DNA. Results: 40 (7.4%) pregnant women turned out positive for anti-HBc. Of those, five (0.9%) were HBsAg positive, four (0.7%) were anti-HBc positive with negative HBsAg and anti-HBs, and 31 (5.7%) were positive for anti-HBc and anti-HBs. Anti-HBc positivity was associated with family history of hepatitis and education level below 11 years of schooling. HBV-DNA was positive in only one HBsAg-positive sample. There was no HBV-DNA positivity among HBsAg negative samples. Conclusions: The prevalence of HBsAg in pregnant women in this study confirmed that São Luís is a low endemicity area. Occult hepatitis B was not detected in these samples. © 2012 Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved. Introduction The hepatitis B virus (HBV) is the most common cause of chronic infection worldwide, and can lead to liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). 1 The prevalence of this ∗ Corresponding author at: Centro de Pesquisa Clínica do Hospital Universitário – UFMA, Rua Almirante Tamandaré, 01, Centro, 65020-600, São Luís, MA, Brazil. E-mail address: adalgisaf@terra.com.br (A.d.S.P. Ferreira). infection varies widely in different parts of the world, with areas of high (more than 8%), medium (between 8% and 2%), and low endemicity (less than 2%). 2 In Brazil, prevalence rates are heterogeneous; the Amazon region and part of some states of South and Southeast Brazil are considered areas of high and medium endemicity, respectively. 3 1413-8670/$ – see front matter © 2012 Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bjid.2012.07.008