Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 20, 2026

Development of a Hepatitis B Virus Reporter System to Monitor the Early Stages of the Replication Cycle
09:35

Development of a Hepatitis B Virus Reporter System to Monitor the Early Stages of the Replication Cycle

Published on: February 1, 2017

Prevention of perinatal transmission of hepatitis B virus carrier state

H Tada1, N Uga, Y Fuse

  • 1Department of Neonatology, Toho University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.

Acta Paediatrica Japonica : Overseas Edition
|December 1, 1992
PubMed

Insights

Passive and active immunization effectively protected most infants from hepatitis B virus (HBV) carrier status. This strategy is crucial for preventing vertical HBV transmission and future liver disease.

Area of Science:

  • Hepatology
  • Immunology
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • Hepatitis B virus (HBV) poses a significant risk for vertical transmission from carrier mothers to newborns.
  • Establishing the HBV carrier state in infants can lead to chronic liver disease.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the efficacy of passive and active immunization in preventing vertical HBV transmission.
  • To assess the long-term protection against HBV carrier state in infants born to HBV-positive mothers.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of 407 infants born to hepatitis B antigen-positive mothers received hepatitis B immunoglobulin and hepatitis B vaccine.
  • Infants were monitored for 12 months or longer to determine HBV carrier status.
  • Seroconversion of anti-HBc was assessed in protected infants.

Main Results:

  • 396 out of 407 infants (97.3%) were protected from becoming HBV carriers.
  • 11 infants developed HBV carrier status (4 before, 7 after immunoprophylaxis completion).
  • 26.8% of protected infants showed anti-HBc seroconversion.

Conclusions:

  • Combined passive and active immunization is highly effective in preventing vertical HBV transmission.
  • This immunoprophylaxis strategy significantly reduces the risk of infants becoming HBV carriers.
  • Nationwide implementation of these measures is expected to lead to the elimination of HBV-related liver diseases.

More Related Videos

A Competent Hepatocyte Model Examining Hepatitis B Virus Entry through Sodium Taurocholate Cotransporting Polypeptide as a Therapeutic Target11:34

A Competent Hepatocyte Model Examining Hepatitis B Virus Entry through Sodium Taurocholate Cotransporting Polypeptide as a Therapeutic Target

Published on: May 10, 2022

Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction-Based Detection and Quantification of Hepatitis B Virus DNA04:11

Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction-Based Detection and Quantification of Hepatitis B Virus DNA

Published on: December 15, 2023

Related Concept Videos

Transmission-based Precautions II: Airborne and Protective Environment01:25

Transmission-based Precautions II: Airborne and Protective Environment

Transmission-based precautions are for patients infected or suspected to be infected (or colonized) with organisms posing a significant risk to others. The transmission precautions include airborne and protective environment precautions.
Airborne precautions:
Use airborne precautions when treating patients known or suspected to have diseases that spread through the air—for example, tuberculosis or measles. These organisms are present in smaller droplets expelled by an infected person and...
Standard Precaution01:26

Standard Precaution

Standard precautions are the minimum infection control safeguards used while caring for all patients, irrespective of their disease condition. They help prevent the spread of common infectious microorganisms to healthcare workers, patients, and visitors in all healthcare settings.
Hand hygiene is the most crucial means to prevent the transmission of disease. Employers are legally required to provide their workers with personal protective equipment (PPE) to minimize exposure or contact with...
Transmission-based Precautions I: Contact, Enteric, and Droplets01:17

Transmission-based Precautions I: Contact, Enteric, and Droplets

Transmission-based precautions are for patients known to be infected or suspected to be infected or colonized with organisms that pose a significant risk to others. Some transmission-based precautions include contact, enteric, and droplet.
Contact Precautions:
Contact precautions are the measures taken to prevent the transmission of infectious agents, especially epidemiologically important microorganisms such as MRSA or influenza, primarily transmitted through direct or indirect contact with an...
Development of Immunocompetence01:22

Development of Immunocompetence

The initiation of cell-mediated immunity can be observed as early as the third month of fetal growth, with active antibody-mediated immunity following approximately one month later.
The initial cells that migrate from the fetal thymus settle within the skin and epithelial tissues lining the mouth, digestive tract, and in females, the uterus and vagina. These cells, including skin-based dendritic cells, serve as antigen-presenting cells, playing a key role in T cell activation.
Subsequent T...
Hepatitis01:25

Hepatitis

Hepatitis is an inflammatory condition of the liver most commonly caused by hepatotropic viruses (A–E), though non-infectious causes such as alcohol and drugs also exist.Hepatitis AHepatitis A virus (HAV) is a non-enveloped RNA virus of the Picornaviridae family. It is primarily transmitted via the fecal-oral route, typically through ingestion of contaminated food or water. After ingestion, HAV enters the bloodstream through the oropharynx or intestinal epithelium and reaches the liver. The...
Viral Hepatitis I: Introduction01:28

Viral Hepatitis I: Introduction

Viral hepatitis is an inflammatory condition of the liver caused by infection with hepatotropic viruses, most commonly hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E. Despite variations in structure and transmission, all viruses mentioned infect hepatocytes and provoke immune responses that can hinder liver function. Additionally, some non-hepatotropic viruses can also lead to hepatic inflammation.Hepatitis A VirusHepatitis A virus (HAV) is transmitted through the fecal–oral route, typically by ingestion of food...