[Blocking intrauterine infection by telbivudine in pregnant chronic hepatitis B patients].

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the efficacy of telbivudine on intrauterine hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection during the last stage of pregnancy.

METHODS

61 pregnant chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients were enrolled and 31 patients were treated by telbivudine 600 mg once daily, 30 patients in the control group were not received antiviral treatment. Maternal HBV DNA level and the HBsAg positive rate in newborns were investigated.

RESULTS

The levels of serum HBV DNA in patients treated with Telbivudine were significantly reduced (t = 19.09, P less than 0.01). Compared with the control group, serum HBV DNA levels were significantly lower in telbivudine treated patients than those in the control group before parturition (t = 23.64, P less than 0.01). The infection rate of 7-month newborns were 0 and 13.33% (4/30), in telbivudine group and control group, respectively (x2 = 4.29, probability value less than 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Telbivudine treatment can block intrauterine infection in pregnant chronic hepatitis B patients.