Document Type : Original Research

Authors

1 Infectious Disease Research Center, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran

2 Dept. of Pathology, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran

3 Fatemeh Zahra Infertility and Reproductive Health Research Center, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Chicken pox has potential complications during pregnancy for both the mother and her baby. The aim of this study was to determine the Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) immune status in pregnant women in Babol and its surrounding neighborhoods.
Materials and Methods: This seroepidemiological study was carried out on 427 pregnant women referred to Rohani Hospital, Babol, northern Iran from 2010 to 2011. The immune status (IgG level) was determined using ELISA method and correlation with age, place of residence, history of VZV infection and the number of siblings were evaluated.
Results: The mean age of the subjects was 27.16 + 5.7 years and their mean antibody level was 103.552 + 63.37 U/ml. Out of 427 pregnant women studied, 8.7% were seronegative, 1.2% were equivocal and 90.2% were seropositive. There was no correlation between age, the place of residence (urban or rural) and titer of antibody. However, higher antibody titer was found in women with more siblings.
Conclusion: Considering 90.2% of pregnant women were VZV seropositive, evaluation of VZV antibody in order to prevent complications in non-immune pregnant women and vaccination for women with age less than 25 years old and no VZV infection history, prior to pregnancy is recommended.
 

Keywords

  1. Sharifi Z, Emadi Ghanjin S. The seroepidemiology of varicella zoster (VZV) in different age groups in Tehran, Iran. IJAAI 2005;4(2):95-8.
  2. Mamani M, Zamani M, Hashemi SH, Akhtari M, Niayesh A. Seroepidemiology of varicella – zoster virus among pregnant women in Hamedan, Iran. Afr J Microbiol Res 2012;6(8):1829 –32.
  3. Ziyaeyan M, Alborzi A, Jamalidoust M, Moieni M, Pourabbas B.  Seroepidemiology of varicella zoster virus infection among 1-70 year individuals in Iran. IRCMJ 2012;12(2):176-80.
  4. Motamedifar M, Handjani F, Hadi N, Shahkarami MK, Mehrabani D. Seroprevalence of varicella – zoster virus in children from Shiraz-Iran. Iran J Immunol 2006;3(1):43–6.
  5. lafer MM, De Moraes-Pinto MI, Weckx LY. Prevalence of IgG varicella zoster virus antibodies in the kuikuro and kaiabi indigenous communities in xingu national park, Brazil, before varicella vaccination. Rev Inst Med Trop S Paulo 2005;47(3):139 –42.
  6. Plans P, Costa J, Espunes J, Plasencia A, Salleras L. Prevalence of varicella –zoster antibodies in pregnant women in Catalonia (Spain). Rationale for varicella vaccination of women of childbearing age. BJOG 2007;114(9):1122-7.
  7. Talukder YS, Kafatos G, Pinot De Moira A, Aquilina J, Parker SP, Crowcroft NS, et al. The seroepidemiology of varicella zoster virus among pregnant Bangladeshi and white British women in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, UK. Epidemiol Infect 2007;135:1344–53.
  8. Pourahmad M, Davami MH, Sotoodeh Jahromi AR. Evaluation of anti-varicella antibody in young women before their marriage : a sero-epidemiologic study in Iran. J Clin Virol 2010;48(4):260-3.
  9. Saadatian –Elahi M, Mekki Y, Del Signore C, Lina B, Derrough T, Caulin E, et al. Seroprevalence of varicella antibodies among pregnant women in Lyon- France. Eur J Epidemiol 2007;22:405–9.
  10. Watson B, Civen R, Reynolds M, Heath K, Perella D, Carbajal T, et al. Validity of self-reported varicella disease history in pregnant women attending prenatal clinics. Public Health Rep 2007;122(4):499–506.
  11. Alfonsi V, Montomoli E, Manini I, Alberini I, Gentile Ch, Rota MC, et al. Susceptibility to varicella in childbearing age women, Central Italy: Is there a need for vaccinating this population group? Vaccine 2007; 25:6086–8.
  12. 12- Alp H, Altinkaynak S, Ertekin V, Kilicaslan B, Giiraksin A. Seroepidemiology of varicella-zoster virus infection in a cosmopolitan city (Erzurum) in the eastern Turkey. Health Policy 2005; 2:119–24.
  13. Ratnam S. Varicella susceptibility in a Canadian population. Can J Infect Dis 2000;11: 249 -53.       
  14. Sauerbrei A, Prager J, Bischoff A, Wutzler P. Antibodies against vaccine-preventable diseases in pregnant women and their offspring. Measles, mumps, rubella, poliomyelitis, and varicella. Bundesgesundheitsblatt Gesundheitsforschung Gesundheitsschutz 2007;47:10-15.
  15. Alanen A, Kahala K, Vahlberg T, Koskela P, Vainionpaa R. Seroprevalence, incidence of prenatal infections and reliability of maternal history of varicella zoster virus, cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex virus and parvovirus B19 infection in South- Western Finland. BJOG 2005;112:50-6.
  16. Knowles SJ, Grindy K, cahill I, Cafferkey MT. Susceptibility to infection rash illness in pregnant women from diverse geographical regions. Common Dis Public Health 2004;7:344-8.
  17. Bartoloni A, Bartalesi F, Roselli M, Manteilla A, Dini F, Carballo ES, et al. Seroprevalence of varicella zoster and rubella antibodies among rural populations of the Chaco region, south –eastern Bolivia. Trop Med In the alth 2002;7:512–7.
  18. Dayan GH, Panero MS, Debbag R, Urquiza A, Molina M, Prieto S,et al. Varicella seroprevalence and molecular epidemiology of varicella-zoster virus in Argentina, 2002. J Clin Microbiol 2004;42:5698–704.
  19. Savas S, Dallar Y, Arikan I, Onde U. Varicella – zoster virus seroprevalence in children between 0-15 years old. Mikrobiyol Bull 2004;38(1-2):69-75.