The risk of placental abruption and placenta previa in pregnant women with chronic hepatitis B viral infection: A systematic review and meta-analysis

- Rate of chronic hepatitis B infection (CHB) is high in Asia.
- We explored the link between CHB and placental abruption/placenta previa.
- No significant association between CHB and placenta previa was found.
- No significant association between CHB and placental abruption was found.

IntroductionSeveral epidemiological studies have found a positive association between chronic hepatitis B virus (CHB) infection and the risk of placental abruption and placenta previa, but various studies have reported conflicting findings. The objective was to systematically review the literature to determine a possible association between CHB infection and these two placental complications.MethodsWe conducted a computerized search in electronic database through March 1, 2014, supplemented with a manual search of reference lists, to identify original published research on placental abruption and placenta previa rates in women with CHB infection. Data were independently extracted, and relative risks were calculated. The meta-analysis was performed using Stata version 10.0 software.ResultsFive studies involving 9088 placenta previa cases were identified. No significant association between CHB infection and placenta previa was identified (OR = 0.98, 95% CI = 0.60-1.62). Five studies involving 15571 placental abruption cases were identified. No significant association between CHB infection and placental abruption was identified (OR = 1.42, 95% CI, 0.93-2.15).DiscussionThe immune response against the virus represents a key factor in determining infection outcomes. No observation of significant increased risk of the placental complications could be partially explained by the complex immune response during CHB infection.ConclusionsOur meta-analysis found no evidence of significant associations between CHB infection and increased risk of placental abruption as well as placenta previa. Further well-designed studies were warranted to assess any potential association between CHB infection and increased risk of placental abruption as well as placenta previa.