The study on role of peripheral blood mononuclear cell in HBV intrauterine infection

To explore the role of mother's peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV) in intrauterine transmission. We have selected 60 cases of pregnant women with negative serum HBV DNA and positive PBMC HBV DNA from hospitalized patients. These women and their neonates acted as the experimental group. Twenty cases of pregnant women with HBV serum marker negative were selected. These women and their neonates served as the control group. Immunohistochemistry was employed to detect the expressions of HBsAg and HBcAg in cells of every placental layer and CD68 cells of placenta of the pregnant women whose neonates' PBMC HBV DNA was positive and/or whose neonates' serum HBV DNA positive. In the experimental group, neonatal serum HBV DNA of only four cases were positive, only eight cases' neonatal PBMC HBV DNA were positive and four cases had HBV DNA positive in both neonatal serum and PBMC. The expressions of HBsAg and HBcAg were detected in CD68 cells of villous stroma and blood capillary in only eight cases of neonatal placenta with positive PBMC HBV DNA. HBV infection was found in cells of every layer in placenta in two of four cases with neonatal serum HBV DNA positive. The expressions of HBsAg and HBcAg were detected in trophoblastic cells, CD68 cells of villous stroma and blood capillary in two of four cases with HBV DNA positive in both neonatal serum and PBMC. In control group, no positive signals were detected in neonates and placenta. HBV-infected PBMC in pregnant women may lead to intrauterine infection.