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Review
. 2022 Oct;29(10):844-861.
doi: 10.1111/jvh.13725. Epub 2022 Jul 7.

Viral hepatitis in pregnancy

Mohamed Tarek M Shata  1 , Helal F Hetta  1   2 , Yeshika Sharma  1 , Kenneth E Sherman  1
Affiliations
Review

Viral hepatitis in pregnancy

Mohamed Tarek M Shata et al. J Viral Hepat. 2022 Oct.

Abstract

Viral hepatitis is caused by a heterogenous group of viral agents representing a wide range of phylogenetic groups. Many viruses can involve the liver and cause liver injury but only a subset are delineated as 'hepatitis viruses' based upon their primary site of replication and tropism for hepatocytes which make up the bulk of the liver cell population. Since their discovery, beginning with the agent that caused serum hepatitis in the 1960s, the alphabetic designations have been utilized. To date, we have five hepatitis viruses, A through E, though it is postulated that others may exist. This chapter will focus on those viruses. Note that hepatitis D is included as a subset of hepatitis B, as it cannot exist without concurrent hepatitis B infection. Pregnancy has the potential to affect all aspects of these viral agents due to the unique immunologic and physiologic changes that occur during and after the gestational period. In this review, we will discuss the most common viral hepatitis and their effects during pregnancy.

Keywords: epidemiology of viral hepatitis; foetal outcome; hepatitis A; hepatitis B; hepatitis C; hepatitis D; hepatitis E; immunopathogenesis of viral hepatitis; maternal transmission; pathogenicity of viral hepatitis; pregnancy; viral hepatitis.

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Conflict of interest statement

There are no conflict of interest for the authors.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
HEV genome
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
HEV vaccine
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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