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Maternal antibody to hepatitis B core antigen detected in dried neonatal blood spot samples

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 October 1998

D. M. TAPPIN ,
K. GREER ,
S. CAMERON ,
R. KENNEDY ,
A. J. BROWN  and
R. W. A. GIRDWOOD
D. M. TAPPIN
Affiliation:
Department of Child Health, Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Yorkhill, Glasgow, G3 8SJ, UK
K. GREER
Affiliation:
Scottish Inborn Errors Screening Laboratory, Stobhill General Hospital, Glasgow
S. CAMERON
Affiliation:
Regional Virus Laboratory, Ruchill Hospital, Glasgow
R. KENNEDY
Affiliation:
Scottish Inborn Errors Screening Laboratory, Stobhill General Hospital, Glasgow
A. J. BROWN
Affiliation:
Scottish Inborn Errors Screening Laboratory, Stobhill General Hospital, Glasgow
R. W. A. GIRDWOOD
Affiliation:
Scottish Inborn Errors Screening Laboratory, Stobhill General Hospital, Glasgow
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Abstract

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Despite Department of Health recommendations, universal antenatal testing for hepatitis B virus (HBV) is not performed throughout Scotland. We describe the evaluation of an assay to document past or present infection with HBV, by identifying maternal antibody in routine Guthrie dried neonatal blood spot samples taken when infants are 7 days old. A modified haemagglutination assay to detect antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (CORECELL, Green Cross) was validated and found to be 79% sensitive (44/56) and 100% (105/105) specific when used with dried blood spot samples made from panels of serum of known reactivity. Ninety-three percent (13/14) of HBV carriers were CORECELL positive. Sixty-six (0·5%) of 14044 routine Guthrie samples taken from babies born in Scotland from June–August 1992 were CORECELL positive indicating past or present maternal infection with HBV. A cross-sectional survey would document the maternity hospitals where universal antenatal hepatitis B screening should be urgently established.

Type
Research Article
Information
Epidemiology & Infection , Volume 121 , Issue 2 , October 1998 , pp. 387 - 390
Copyright
© 1998 Cambridge University Press