Perinatal hepatitis B virus transmission in Lao PDR : a prospective cohort study

Contexte : Environ 257 millions de personnes dans le monde sont infectées de manière chronique par le virus de l'hépatite B (VHB). La transmission mère-enfant représente la majorité des nouveaux porteurs chroniques du VHB, en particulier en Asie. Le VHB peut être transmis in utero, lors de l'accouchement ou pendant la petite enfance voire plus tard. Environ 80 à 90% des nourrissons infectés à la naissance développent une infection chronique par le VHB avec le risque élevé de développer de graves complications, notamment une fibrose du foie, une cirrhose, un carcinome hépatocellulaire jusqu’à un décès lié au foie à l’âge adulte. Nous avons évalué la proportion des enfants immunisés avec succès dans deux grands hôpitaux de Vientiane, en République démocratique populaire lao, où l’immunoglobuline HB (HBIg) n’est pas disponible. Méthodes : Nous avons étudié une cohorte prospective de femmes enceintes infectées par le VHB et de leurs enfants jusqu'à six mois après la naissance de janvier 2015 à mars 2017. Tous les nourrissons ont reçu le vaccin anti-HB à la naissance et six, 10 et 14 semaines après la naissance. Le statut d’infection par le VHB chez l’enfant a été évalué à l’âge de 6 mois. Le séquençage du gène de surface du VHB a été effectué chez des couples mère-enfant infectés. Résultats : Sur 153 mères ayant été dépistées positives pour l'antigène de surface HB (AgHBs), 60 (39%) avaient l'antigène HBe (AgHBe) positif. Les femmes enceintes ayant AgHBe-positif étaient plus jeunes que les femmes ayant d’AgHBe négatif ((âge médian 26 versus 28 ans; p = 0,02). et avaient une charge virale du VHB significativement plus élevée à l'accouchement (médiane 8,0 versus 4,0 log10 UI / mL, p 8,5 log10 UI / mL. Cependant, seulement quatre enfants (3,3%, IC à 95%, 0,5% à 7,0%) avaient une souche virale étroitement apparentée à celle de leur mère. Des mutations du gène de surface du VHB (G145G/R, G145G/A, M133T, M133I) ont été détectées chez 4 des 5 enfants infectés. Le taux d'anticorps anti-HBs était supérieur à 10 UI / L chez 105 nourrissons (88%) à l'âge de 6 mois. Conclusions : La transmission de la mère à l'enfant s'est produite moins souvent que ce que nous avions prévu en absence de l'utilisation de HBIg. L’ajout d’une prophylaxie par HBIg et / ou antivirale maternelle aurait pu prévenir certaines de ces infections. L'observation du taux d'anticorps anti-HBs non satisfait chez 9% des enfants non infectés à 6 mois souligne la nécessité d'améliorer les procédures d'immunisation universellesBackground: An estimated 257 million people are chronically infected with the hepatitis B virus (HBV) worldwide. Mother-to-child transmission accounts for the majority of new chronic HBV carriers, especially in Asia. HBV can be transmitted in utero, during delivery or during infancy and later. About 80–90% of infants infected at birth will develop a chronic HBV infection, and will have a high risk of developing serious complications including liver fibrosis, cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and liver-related death during adult age. We aimed at assessing the percentage of infants successfully immunized in two major hospitals in Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) where HB immune globulin (HBIg) is not available. Methods: We studied a prospective cohort of chronically HBV infected pregnant women and their infants until 6 months post-partum from January 2015 to March 2017. All infants received the HB vaccine at birth and 6, 10 and 14 weeks thereafter, and their HBV status was assessed at 6 months of age. HBV surface gene sequencing was performed in infected mother-infant pairs.Results: Of 153 mothers with HB surface antigen (HBsAg), 60 (39%) had detectable serum HBe antigen (HBeAg). HBeAg positive pregnant women were younger than those negative (median age 26 versus 28 years; p=0.02) and had a significantly higher HBV viral load at delivery (median 8.0 versus 4.0 log10 IU/mL, p 8.5 log10 IU/mL. However, only four (3.3%, 95% CI 0.5% to 7.0 %) had a virus strain closely related to their mother’s strain. HBV surface gene mutations were detected in 4 of the 5 infected infants (G145G/R, G145G/A, M133T, M133I). Anti-HBs antibody level was above 10 IU/L in 105 (88%) infants at 6 months of age. Conclusions: Mother-to-child transmission occurred less frequently than expected without the use of HBIg. Adding HBIg and/or maternal antiviral prophylaxis may have prevented some of these infections. The observation of unsatisfactory levels of anti-HBs antibodies in 9% of the uninfected infants at 6 months highlights the need for improvement of the universal immunization procedure

Suivi prospectif d’une cohorte de femmes enceintes chroniquement infectées par le virus de l’hépatite B (VHB) et de leurs enfants en RDP Laos

Background: An estimated 257 million people are chronically infected with the hepatitis B virus (HBV) worldwide. Mother-to-child transmission accounts for the majority of new chronic HBV carriers, especially in Asia. HBV can be transmitted in utero, during delivery or during infancy and later. About 80–90% of infants infected at birth will develop a chronic HBV infection, and will have a high risk of developing serious complications including liver fibrosis, cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and liver-related death during adult age. We aimed at assessing the percentage of infants successfully immunized in two major hospitals in Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) where HB immune globulin (HBIg) is not available. Methods: We studied a prospective cohort of chronically HBV infected pregnant women and their infants until 6 months post-partum from January 2015 to March 2017. All infants received the HB vaccine at birth and 6, 10 and 14 weeks thereafter, and their HBV status was assessed at 6 months of age. HBV surface gene sequencing was performed in infected mother-infant pairs.Results: Of 153 mothers with HB surface antigen (HBsAg), 60 (39%) had detectable serum HBe antigen (HBeAg). HBeAg positive pregnant women were younger than those negative (median age 26 versus 28 years; p=0.02) and had a significantly higher HBV viral load at delivery (median 8.0 versus 4.0 log10 IU/mL, p 8.5 log10 IU/mL. However, only four (3.3%, 95% CI 0.5% to 7.0 %) had a virus strain closely related to their mother’s strain. HBV surface gene mutations were detected in 4 of the 5 infected infants (G145G/R, G145G/A, M133T, M133I). Anti-HBs antibody level was above 10 IU/L in 105 (88%) infants at 6 months of age. Conclusions: Mother-to-child transmission occurred less frequently than expected without the use of HBIg. Adding HBIg and/or maternal antiviral prophylaxis may have prevented some of these infections. The observation of unsatisfactory levels of anti-HBs antibodies in 9% of the uninfected infants at 6 months highlights the need for improvement of the universal immunization proceduresContexte : Environ 257 millions de personnes dans le monde sont infectées de manière chronique par le virus de l'hépatite B (VHB). La transmission mère-enfant représente la majorité des nouveaux porteurs chroniques du VHB, en particulier en Asie. Le VHB peut être transmis in utero, lors de l'accouchement ou pendant la petite enfance voire plus tard. Environ 80 à 90% des nourrissons infectés à la naissance développent une infection chronique par le VHB avec le risque élevé de développer de graves complications, notamment une fibrose du foie, une cirrhose, un carcinome hépatocellulaire jusqu’à un décès lié au foie à l’âge adulte. Nous avons évalué la proportion des enfants immunisés avec succès dans deux grands hôpitaux de Vientiane, en République démocratique populaire lao, où l’immunoglobuline HB (HBIg) n’est pas disponible. Méthodes : Nous avons étudié une cohorte prospective de femmes enceintes infectées par le VHB et de leurs enfants jusqu'à six mois après la naissance de janvier 2015 à mars 2017. Tous les nourrissons ont reçu le vaccin anti-HB à la naissance et six, 10 et 14 semaines après la naissance. Le statut d’infection par le VHB chez l’enfant a été évalué à l’âge de 6 mois. Le séquençage du gène de surface du VHB a été effectué chez des couples mère-enfant infectés. Résultats : Sur 153 mères ayant été dépistées positives pour l'antigène de surface HB (AgHBs), 60 (39%) avaient l'antigène HBe (AgHBe) positif. Les femmes enceintes ayant AgHBe-positif étaient plus jeunes que les femmes ayant d’AgHBe négatif ((âge médian 26 versus 28 ans; p = 0,02). et avaient une charge virale du VHB significativement plus élevée à l'accouchement (médiane 8,0 versus 4,0 log10 UI / mL, p 8,5 log10 UI / mL. Cependant, seulement quatre enfants (3,3%, IC à 95%, 0,5% à 7,0%) avaient une souche virale étroitement apparentée à celle de leur mère. Des mutations du gène de surface du VHB (G145G/R, G145G/A, M133T, M133I) ont été détectées chez 4 des 5 enfants infectés. Le taux d'anticorps anti-HBs était supérieur à 10 UI / L chez 105 nourrissons (88%) à l'âge de 6 mois. Conclusions : La transmission de la mère à l'enfant s'est produite moins souvent que ce que nous avions prévu en absence de l'utilisation de HBIg. L’ajout d’une prophylaxie par HBIg et / ou antivirale maternelle aurait pu prévenir certaines de ces infections. L'observation du taux d'anticorps anti-HBs non satisfait chez 9% des enfants non infectés à 6 mois souligne la nécessité d'améliorer les procédures d'immunisation universelle

Knowledge, awareness and attitudes about cervical cancer among women attending or not an HIV treatment center in Lao PDR.

International audienceBACKGROUND: Cervical cancer is the first female cancer in Lao PDR, a low-income country with no national screening and prevention programs for this human papillomavirus (HPV) associated pathology. HIV-infected women have a higher risk of persistent oncogenic HPV infection.The purpose of this study was to determine the knowledge, awareness and attitudes about cervical cancer among Lao women attending or not an HIV treatment center, in order to understand if this attendance had offered an opportunity for information and prevention. METHODS: A cross-sectional case-control survey was conducted in three provinces of Lao PDR, Vientiane, Luang Prabang and Savannakhet. Cases were 320 women aged 25 to 65, living with HIV and followed in an HIV treatment center. Controls were 320 women matched for age and place of residence, not attending an HIV treatment center. RESULTS: Cases had a greater number of sexual partners and used condoms more often than controls. Only 36.6% of women had consulted a gynecologist (47.5% among cases and 25.6% among controls, p < 0.001) and 3.9% had benefited from at least one Pap smear screening (5.6% cases and 2.2% controls, p = 0.02). The average knowledge score was 3.5 on a 0 to 13 scale, significantly higher in cases than in controls (p < 0.0001). Despite having a lower education level and economic status, the women living with HIV had a better knowledge about cervical cancer and were more aware than the controls of the risk of developing such a cancer (35.9% vs. 8.4%, p = 0.0001). The main source of information was healthcare professionals. The main reasons for not undergoing Pap smear were the absence of symptoms and the default of medical injunction for cases, the lack of information and ignorance of screening usefulness for controls. CONCLUSION: In Lao PDR, routine consultation in HIV treatment centers is not enough harnessed to inform women of their high risk of developing cervical cancer, and to perform screening testing and treatment of precancerous lesions. Implementing this cost-effective strategy could be the first step toward a national prevention program for cervical cancer

Estimating the burden of hepatitis B virus infection in Laos between 2020 and 2021: A cross-sectional seroprevalence survey

International audienceBackground; Laos is considered highly endemic for persistent infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV). To eliminate this burden, it has gradually implemented universal anti-hepatitis B immunisation of newborns over the past two decades.Methods: Using VIKIA® HBsAg, a rapid test for the qualitative detection of the HBV surface antigen, we conducted between Sep 1st, 2020 and Aug 31st, 2021 the largest prospective prevalence survey ever in Laos. This survey included blood donors (BD, n = 42,277), patients attending care in capital and provincial hospitals (n = 37,347) including attending mothers (n = 20,548), HIV-infected patients (n = 7439, recruited from 2009 to 2020), students from the Health Sciences University (n = 609), and outpatients (n = 350) coming for diagnosis at the Center Infectiology Lao-Christophe Mérieux in Vientiane. In total, 88,022 persons were tested, representing approximately 1.22% of the national population. To reach a reasonable estimate of HBsAg prevalence in Laos, we segmented the population according to three variables, age (≤20 years as a cut-off), sex, and geographical origin. BD values were used to estimate HBsAg prevalence in patients aged <20 while hospital survey prevalence was used to estimate the prevalence in those aged older than 20 years.Findings: We observed an HBsAg seroprevalence ranging from 2.6% in blood donors to 8.0% in HIV-infected patients. In BD, men were significantly more at risk to be carriers than women (RR = 1.2, P = 0.00063). For BD, attending mothers, or HIV-infected patients, HBsAg was significantly more prevalent in northern Laos (5.1–8.4%) than in central (2.0–8.1%) or southern parts of the country (2.2–6.9%), thereby delineating a North-to-South gradient.Interpretation: We considered that HBsAg prevalence probably ranges between 5.0% and 6.0% of the total population. Thus, we consider that Laos may no longer be highly endemic for chronic HBV infection but rather a country with intermediate endemicity

Perinatal hepatitis B virus transmission in Lao PDR: A prospective cohort study.

BackgroundMother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B virus (HBV) is the main cause of new infections worldwide. We aimed at assessing the percentage of infants successfully immunized in two major hospitals in Vientiane, Lao PDR where HB immune globulin (HBIg) is not available.MethodsWe studied a prospective cohort of chronically HBV infected pregnant women and their infants until 6 months post-partum from January 2015 to March 2017. All infants received HB vaccine at birth and 6, 10 and 14 weeks thereafter, and HBV status was assessed at 6 months of age. HBV surface gene sequencing was performed in infected mother-infant pairs.ResultsOf 153 mothers with HB surface antigen (HBsAg), 60 (39%) had detectable serum HBe antigen (HBeAg). HBeAg positive pregnant women were younger than those negative (median age 26 versus 28 years; p = 0.02) and had a significantly higher HBV viral load at delivery (median 8.0 versus 4.0 log10 IU/mL, p 8.5 log10 IU/mL. However, only four (3.3%, 95% CI 0.5% to 7.0%) had a virus strain closely related to their mother's strain. HBV surface gene mutations were detected in 4 of the 5 infected infants. Anti-HBs antibody levels were below 10 IU/L in 10 (9%) uninfected infants at 6 months of age.ConclusionsMother-to-child transmission occurred less frequently than expected without the use of HBIg. Adding HBIg and/or maternal antiviral prophylaxis may have prevented some of these infections. The observation of unsatisfactory levels of anti-HBs antibodies in 9% of the uninfected infants at 6 months highlights the need for improvement of the universal immunization procedures