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World J Hepatol. Oct 27, 2026; 18(10): 124577
Published online Oct 27, 2026. doi: 10.4254/wjh.124577
Published online Oct 27, 2026. doi: 10.4254/wjh.124577
Risk factors and predictive model for hepatitis B virus deoxyribonucleic acid elevation in mid-to-late pregnancy with low viremia
Zi‑Ren Chen, Hui‑Hui Chen, Bing‑Wang Jie, Ting‑Ting Peng, Yu‑Wei Shen, Dan Xie, Li‑Li Yang, Shi Ouyang, Department of Infectious Diseases, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510700, Guangdong Province, China
Ying Lin, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Jiangmen Central Hospital, Jiangmen 529000, Guangdong Province, China
Ya‑Wen Geng, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing 400038, China
Yue‑Ying Deng, School of Public Health, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan 063210, Hebei Province, China
Co-first authors: Zi‑Ren Chen and Hui‑Hui Chen.
Co-corresponding authors: Li‑Li Yang and Shi Ouyang.
Author contributions: Peng TT, Yang LL and Ouyang S participated in the original conception and design of the study, performed data analysis and interpretation, critically revised the manuscript, and gave final approval of the manuscript; Chen ZR, Chen HH, Jie BW and Lin Y drafted the article, performed data interpretation, revised the manuscript, and gave final approval of the manuscript; Geng YW, Shen YW, Deng YY and Xie D were involved in data collection and statistical analysis. All authors have made a significant contribution to this study and have approved the final manuscript. Chen ZR and Chen HH contributed equally to this work as co-first authors. This study was conducted over an extended research period. The first corresponding author led the conception of the project and the design of the overall research plan in the early phase of the work. The second corresponding author was primarily responsible for data verification, manuscript drafting, revision in response to reviewers’ comments, and final academic oversight in the later stage. Both authors have substantially participated in key phases of this research and share the ultimate academic responsibility for the entire manuscript, hence the designation of two co-corresponding authors.
AI contribution statement: Portions of this manuscript were edited using AI tools solely for language refinement. The authors carefully reviewed and verified all AI-assisted outputs and take full responsibility for the scientific content of the manuscript.
Institutional review board statement: All general and laboratory data were exclusively used in this study. The study protocol was reviewed and approved by the Ethics Committee of the Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University (No. GYWY-L2023-133).
Informed consent statement: The need for patient consent was waived due to the retrospective nature of the study.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors have no conflict of interest related to this publication.
Data sharing statement: All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article.
Corresponding author: Shi Ouyang, Department of Infectious Diseases, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, No. 621 Gangwan Road, Huangpu District, Guangzhou 510700, Guangdong Province, China. ouyangshi@gzhmu.edu.cn
Received: June 23, 2026
Revised: August 7, 2026
Accepted: September 21, 2026
Published online: October 27, 2026
Processing time: 121 Days and 20.4 Hours
Revised: August 7, 2026
Accepted: September 21, 2026
Published online: October 27, 2026
Processing time: 121 Days and 20.4 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: This study identifies maternal age and baseline hepatitis B virus DNA ≥ 100 IU/mL as independent predictors of viral load elevation during pregnancy. We developed and validated a nomogram-based model with good discrimination (area under the curve 0.71) and excellent calibration, offering a practical bedside tool for early risk stratification in routine antenatal care. This approach enables timely intervention and personalized monitoring, potentially reducing mothertochild transmission and improving pregnancy outcomes in chronic hepatitis B carriers.