[Characteristics of the transmission of hepatitis B virus infection to infants from their mothers--chronic HBsAg carriers with anti-HBe present].

A series of long-term prospective studies was carried out to investigate the possibilities and manifestations of perinatal infection in Moscow. The observations included 45 mothers, chronic carriers of HBsAg, and their 48 babies. In most of the mothers (31 out of 41), HBs antigenemia was accompanied by the presence of anti-HBe. No persisting HBsAg carrier state was ever detected in the newborns, although in 9 out of 48 babies transitory ephemeral infection was recorded with minimal clinico-biochemical disorders in 6 and complete lack of any such disorders in 3. The above results are compared with the observations in the countries of South-East Asia, West Africa, Europe and the USA. The causes of significant differences in the epidemiological role of perinatal infection in different world regions are discussed. The primary role of anti-HBe formation, ecological, and genetic factors is emphasized.