Prevalence rate of hepatitis B virus in pregnancy: Implications from a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies published from 2000 to 2016

Background: Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) is one of the most serious infectious diseases and represents a major global health issue worldwide. It can be transmitted vertically and horizontally through contact with infected blood or body fluids. More attention to HBV infection in pregnancy is needed due to high risk of chronicity when transmitted to infants during delivery. Objectives: A comprehensive review of the HBV prevalence rate in pregnant females taking into account different geographical areas and socio-economic status is still lacking. This would be of crucial importance for HBV prevention and control programs. As such, this systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted focusing on HBV prevalence rate in pregnant females from different parts of the world. Methods: Different electronic databases, including Embase, PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and ISI/Web of Science were searched from January 1st 2000 to July 31st 2016, using relevant keywords, such as \ue2\u80\u9cprevalence\ue2\u80\u9d or \ue2\u80\u9cseroprevalence\ue2\u80\u9d or \ue2\u80\u9cepidemiology\ue2\u80\u9d and \ue2\u80\u9cpregnancy\ue2\u80\u9d or \ue2\u80\u9cpregnant\ue2\u80\u9d or \ue2\u80\u9cantenatal\ue2\u80\u9d in combination with \ue2\u80\u9chepatitis B virus\ue2\u80\u9d or \ue2\u80\u9cHBV\ue2\u80\u9d with no language restrictions. The study protocol of this systematic review was deposited at the \ue2\u80\u9cInternational Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews\ue2\u80\u9d and registered as CRD42016041985. Results: After scrutinizing all the extant scholarly literature from 2000 to 2016, this study found 222 relevant articles. The overall HBV prevalence rate in pregnant females worldwide was estimated using a random-effect model, giving a value of 3% (95% confidence interval or CI 2% - 4%). Heterogeneity between studies was significantly high (I2= 99.9%, P < 0.0001). The clinical and epidemiological burden was higher in developing countries. Conclusions: This suggests that despite the recent scientific advancements and the clinical progress that has occurred in anti-viral therapy, HBV still represents a major issue worldwide, especially in underdeveloped countries. The key strategies for preventing transmission from pregnant females to their fetuses are through early birth dose and infant vaccination, as well as by the use of hepatitis B immunoglobulin (HBIG) and the screening and diagnosis of mothers at high risk and the subsequent use of anti-viral agents during pregnancy in order to reduce maternal DNA concentrations down to undetectable concentrations. Health authorities should effectively implement these approaches to better control HBV in pregnancy

Preživljavanje soja Lacticaseibacillus paracasei u ultrafiltiriranom siru u salamuri pakiranom u modificiranoj atmosferi i fleksibilnim višeslojnim filmovima

In this study, two packaging materials, modified polypropylene (MPP) and polyethylene terephthalate/aluminum/ low-density polyethylene (PETFA-Al-LDPE) were studied under various atmospheric conditions: 100% CO2, 70% N2 - 30% CO2, 80% N2 - 20% CO2 for packing probiotic ultrafiltered (UF) white brined cheese. pH, titratable acidity, moisture content, Lacticaseibacillus paracasei viability and overall acceptability were monitored within a 12-week period. The control samples were packaged in atmospheric air. Results revealed that samples packaged in PETFA-Al-LDPE with the combination of 70% N2 - 30% CO2 had the lowest pH, highest acidity and moisture content. The viability of Lacticaseibacillus paracasei was reported to be 4*106 CFU/g within 12 weeks. The highest and lowest overall acceptability was for the cheese packaged in 70% N2 - 30% CO2 and the control sample, respectively.U ovom istraživanju je ispitivana mogućnost primjene dvaju ambalažnih materijala - modificiranog polipropilena (MPP) i polietilen tereftalata/aluminij/polietilen niske gustoće (PETFA-Al-LDPE) u različitim uvjetima modificirane atmosfere (100 % CO2, 70 % N2 – 30 % CO2, 80 % N2 - 20 % CO2) za pakiranje probiotičkog sira iz salamure proizvedenog iz ultrafiltriranog (UF) mlijeka. Tijekom 12 tjedana čuvanja uzorcima sira su određivani pH, titracijska kiselost, sadržaj vlage, preživljavanje soja Lacticaseibacillus paracasei i prihvatljivost. Kontrolni uzorci su pakirani u normalnoj atmosferi (zrak). Dobiveni rezutati ukazuju kako uzorci pakirani u PETFA-Al-LDPE i modificiranoj atmosferi 70 % N2 - 30 % CO2 imaju najniži pH, te najveću kiselost i sadržaj vlage. Preživljavanje soja Lacticaseibacillus paracasei je bilo oko 4x106 CFU/g tijekom 12 tjedana. Najnižu i najvišu prihvatljivost su imali uzorak pakiran u atmosferi 70% N2 - 30 % CO2 te kontrolni uzorak