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Importance of the confirmatory assay for the detection of the HBsAg in the epidemiological studies and in the diagnosis of the viral Hepatitis B

L Sangaré, R Sombié, T Ouedraogo, I Sanou, A Bambara, C Ouédraogo, I.P Guissou

 

Abstract

Several epidemiological studies have reported high prevalence of HBsAg among pregnant women in Burkina Faso. They used various algorithms, as it is also done for the routine diagnostic. Knowing this antigen carriage rate in such a population or in other clinic attendees is important for the implementation of a national immunisation programme and the monitoring of patients with hepatitis B. Often, the screening tests were not confirmed in spite of the existence of known false positive and false negative results. The aim of this study was to determine a more accurate prevalence of HBsAg, among the pregnant women in Burkina Faso. From October 2006 to January 2007, blood samples were collected from 1139 pregnant women. Each sample was analyzed for HBsAg, using two assays and according to manufacturers’ instructions vis, Hepanostika®HBsAg Uniform II B9 (Bio-Mérieux; France) and HBsAg (V2) Abbott AxSYM® system (Abbott Diagnostics). All the positive samples were tested with a confirmatory neutralization assay- Hepanostika®HBsAg Uniform II B9 Confirmatory (Bio-Merieux). The mean age of the pregnant women was 24.85years [range: 15-45years] and the age range of 20-24 (37%) and 25-29 (25.4%) years were the most represented. The overall rate of HBsAg-positive pregnant women with the two screening assays was 20.9%. The HBsAg detection rate was significantly higher with Hepanostika® UniformII B9 (16.9%) than with HBsAg (V2) AxSYM system assay (12.1%), with P<0,0001. The general seroprevalence of HBsAg was 9% after the confirmatory neutralization testing, with 56.7% of false positive results: this difference was statistically significant (P<0.0001). The rate of HBsAg positive pregnant women was higher in the age range of 25-29years than in the others; however, this difference was not statistically significant. In an epidemiological approach, the results found in this study confirmed the Burkina Faso belonging to the high endemic carriage area for HBsAg. The results showed that in an individual approach, the confirmatory assay is necessary and there is a need to implement more accurate algorithm for the routine diagnostic in patients.

Key words: HBsAg, confirmatory assay, prevalence, pregnant women, Burkina Faso.

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Importance of the confirmatory assay for the detection of the HBsAg in the epidemiological studies and in the diagnosis of the viral Hepatitis B

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Screening for Schistosoma haematobium infection in a rural cohort of pregnant women in Nigeria

O Ojurongbe, OA Adeyeba, AO Olowu, AO Olowe, OO Opaleye, BE Egbewale

 

Abstract

Studies were conducted to investigate the occurrence of Schistosoma haematobium infection among 37 pregnant Nigerian women in llie, Osun state, Nigeria and to determine the effects on haemoglobin concentration and clinical symptoms. Out of the 37 pregnant women seen over a period of nine months, 14 (37%) had urinary schistosomiasis, with a mean egg count of 82.5 eggs/10 mls of urine. The mean haemoglobin values in women with schistosomiasis mothers were lower than in women negative for the parasite but the differences were not stastically significant (P>0.05). Abdominal pain was the predominant complaint among the women seen in with 71% of the infected women while other complaints were dizziness, fever and headache. This study shows that schistosomiasis is prevalent among pregnant women in rural area and could contribute to anaemia and abdominal pain commonly seen in pregnant women in our environment.

Keywords: schistosomiasis, pregnant women, abdominal pain, haemoglobin values, Nigeria

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ASYMPTOMATIC SIGNIFICANT BACTERIURIA AMONG PREGNANT WOMEN IN ADO-EKITI, EKITI STATE, NIGERIA

AO Oyagade, SI Smith, O Famurewa

 

Abstract

Microbiological culture examination of urine samples from 502 pregnant women attending antenatal clinic resulted in the isolation of seven genera of bacterial species. They were Staphylococcus aureus 16 (21.3%), Escherichia coli 12 (16.0%), Staphylococcus spp. 11(14.7%), Klebsiella spp. 8 (10.7%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa 7 (9.8%), Streptococcus faecalis 6 (8.0%), and Citrobacter spp. 1 (1.3%). Asymptomatic significant bacteriuria occurred in 16 (12.22%), pyuria in 10 (2.0%) while significant bacteriuria with pyuria occurred in 1(0.2%). The antibiogram indicated that ofloxacin, ciprofloxacin and nalidixic acid were in that order the most effective of the antibiotics tested. All isolates showed multiple resistance to most of the antibiotics tested. Plasmid DNA was detected in Ps. aeruginosa and E. coli with an estimated molecular weight of between 4.5 and 6.5 kb. The result indicated a significant rise in the frequency of S. aureus in asymptomatic bacteriuria.

Key Words: Asymptomatic bacteriuria, urinary tract infections, pregnant women

African Journal Of Clinical And Experimental Microbiology Jan 2004 Vol.5 No.1 64-77