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Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction-Based Detection and Quantification of Hepatitis B Virus DNA
Published on: December 15, 2023
[Hepatitis B serological markers in children adopted from Russia and Ukraine]
1Centro de Pediatría y Adopción Internacional, Zaragoza, Spain. g.olivan@comz.org
Insights
Internationally adopted children from Russia and Ukraine show high hepatitis B virus (HBV) immunity. Most children had protective antibodies from vaccination, indicating effective immunization programs.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Infectious Diseases
- Vaccinology
- Hepatology
Context:
- International adoption presents unique challenges in assessing child health.
- Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a global health concern, particularly in regions with varying vaccination coverage.
- Assessing vaccine-preventable diseases in internationally adopted children is crucial for public health.
Purpose:
- To determine the prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection.
- To verify the immunization status against HBV in children adopted from Russia and Ukraine.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of HBV vaccination in this population.
Summary:
- A cohort study of 102 children adopted from Russia and Ukraine assessed HBV infection and vaccination status.
- All children were negative for active or previous HBV infection (0% prevalence).
- 76.5% of children demonstrated protective antibody levels (HBsAb) post-vaccination.
Impact:
- The study highlights a high prevalence of protective immunity against HBV in internationally adopted children from Russia and Ukraine.
- Recommends serological marker testing (HBsAg, HBcAb, HBsAb) to confirm infection status and guide individualized vaccination strategies.
- Suggests that routine HBV vaccination may be unnecessary for this population, optimizing healthcare resources.
Objective:
To determine the prevalence of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and to verify the immunization status against HBV of children adopted from Russia and Ukraine.
Patients And Methods:
Cohort study of 102 children (58.8% boys) adopted from Russia (90) and Ukraine (12) between 2002 and 2007. All children had medical records that certified they had received 3 doses of HBV vaccine from the birth country. They were evaluated within 2 weeks of their arrival (mean age of 28.3 months; range, 12 to 88 months) according to a standard protocol that includes the hepatitis B serological markers, surface antigen (HBsAg), core antibody (HBcAb), and surface antibody (HBsAb).
Results:
All children were negative for HBsAg and HBcAb (prevalence of active or previous HBV infection, 0%), and 78 (76.5%) showed a protective antibody response (HBsAb>or=10 mIU/ml) due to HBV vaccination. The results are contrasted with those observed by other researchers.
Conclusions:
We show that children adopted from Russia and Ukraine have a relatively high prevalence of protective immunity due to effective HBV vaccination. Therefore, we recommended determining the 3 serological markers for HBV (HBsAg, HBcAb, and HBsAb). Using this, we may detect an active infection or other infection risks, and we know the immunization status. Thus we can assess the need for retest, and provide criteria for individualized vaccinations, which could avoid generalized HBV vaccination in this specific population of internationally adopted children.
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