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Background. The host immune system plays an important role in hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection manifestation. Genetic polymorphisms of several inflammatory cytokines, including TNF-α and IL-10, have been associated with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) progression, although with contradicting results. CHB progression can be categorized into four phases, immune tolerance (IT), immune clearance (IC), low/no replicative (LR), and e-negative hepatitis (ENH), with HBeAg seroconversion as an important milestone. Here, we determined the association of TNF-α (rs1800629) and IL-10 (rs1800896 and rs1800872) SNPs in the context of CHB natural history progression, particularly to HBeAg seroconversion, in Indonesian CHB patients. Methods. A total of 287 subjects were recruited and categorized into distinct CHB phases based on HBeAg, viral load, and ALT levels. TNF-α and IL-10 SNPs were determined using PCR-RFLP and confirmed with direct sequencing. The association between SNP genotypes with CHB dynamics was determined using logistic regression presented as odds ratio (OR) with 95% CI. Results. No significant association was found between IL-10 -592A/C polymorphism and progression of IT and IC to LR, IT and IC to ENH, and LR to ENH phases in all the gene models. IL-10 rs1800896 and TNF-α rs1800629 could not be analyzed using logistic regression. Subjects’ age (≥40 years old) was significantly associated with IT and IC to LR (OR: 2.191, 95% CI 1.067–4.578, P=0.034), IT and IC to ENH (OR: 7.460, 95% CI 3.316–18.310, P

Background: New cases of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection continue to occur worldwide. Most of these are due to mother-to-child transmission (MTCT), with maternal viraemia as the most important contributing factor. The hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) level, which correlates positively with viral load, has been used for treatment monitoring in chronic hepatitis B. This study evaluated the usefulness of quantitative HBsAg for viral load prediction in HBsAg-positive pregnant women. Methods: A total of 943 pregnant women in Makassar, Indonesia, were screened for HBsAg. Sixty-four women were HBsAg-positive and investigated. HBsAg level and hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)/hepatitis B e antibody (anti-HBe) status were determined serologically. Viral load was measured by real-time PCR. HBV DNA was sequenced and analysed for identification of genotype and basal core promoter (BCP)/precore (PC) mutations. Results: Of 64 subjects, 12 (18.8%) were HBeAg-positive and 52 (81.3%) were HBeAg-negative. HBsAg and HBV DNA levels were significantly higher in the HBeAg-positive group (p

Aim: to determine the current prevalence of hepatitis B infection among parturient women in Jakarta, Indonesia. Methods: a cross-sectional study was conducted in women giving birth between May and July 2009, recruited by consecutive sampling technique in 2 hospitals and 13 public health centers in Jakarta. Mothers with history of chronic liver disease were excluded. Data were collected by questionnaires including obstetric history, hepatitis B immunization history, and the presence of jaundice; maternal venous blood samples were taken before parturition for HBsAg determination that was performed by ELISA. Results: of 1,009 parturient women screened for hepatitis B infection, 22 were found positive, giving an overall hepatitis B prevalence of 2.2%, previous 5.2% in 1985. None of the subjects had any symptoms of HBV infection. The highest HBsAg prevalence was found in the East Jakarta study site, with predominance in mothers aged

Abstract Background Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a world health problem with an estimated 257 million chronically infected people. Indonesia, with 7.1% prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), is classified as a moderately endemic country. Healthcare workers (HCWs) are at high occupational risk for HBV infection and potentially becoming transmitters for further infections. In Indonesia, the extent of hepatitis B among HCWs and specific control strategy are not available. This study evaluated the seroprevalence of HBV infection and associated risk factors in HCWs from four areas in South Sulawesi, Indonesia. Methods A total of 467 HCWs (median age 28 years, male/female 89/378) were recruited. All HCWs were classified into three age groups (