Hepatology. 2018 Aug 2. doi: 10.1002/hep.30137. [Epub ahead of print]
Preventing Perinatal Transmission of Hepatitis B Necessitates Consideration of Antiviral Treatment in Pregnancy.
Terrault N1, Brown R Jr2, Lok A3, Wong J4, Chang KM5, Jonas M6, McMahon B7.
Author information
1
University of California San Francisco, UCSF, Department of Medicine.
2
Columbia University, Medicine.
3
University of Michigan.
4
Tufts Medical Center, Division of Clinical Decision Making Hwang, Jessica.
5
Philadelphia VAMC & University of Pennsylvania, Medical Research Bzowej, Natalie.
6
Children's Hospital Boson, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition.
7
Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, Liver Disease and Hepatitis.
Abstract
Prevention of mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a major component of the HBV elimination efforts in every country. We thank Drs. Mubarak and Ferstenberg for highlighting the AASLD2018 Updated Hepatitis B Guidance on prevention of mother-to-child transmission 1 and conclusions from a recently published randomized clinical trial by Jourdain et al. of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) versus placebo in pregnancy2 . In the Jourdain et al. study, TDF was not associated with a statistically significant reduction in perinatal transmission of HBV, but the 2% rate of perinatal transmission with placebo was much lower than the expected 12%, leaving the study underpowered to detect a statistically significant difference. Notably, no infants became infected in the TDF treated group, similar to another randomized trial comparing third trimester TDF to placebo This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.