Is Hepatitis B Infection During Pregnancy a Risk of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus?

Background: studies regarding the impact of hepatitis B on pregnancy are rare and showed contradictory results. The hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection during pregnancy is associated with insulin resistance. A meta-analytic technique was used to quantify the evidence of an association between HBV infection and the risk of gestational diabetes (GDM) among pregnant women. Methods: We searched Web of PubMed, Science, CNKI database, from inception to December 31, 2014. We selected studies using a case-control study or a cohort study design, and reported a quantitative association between HBV infection during pregnancy and risk of GDM. A total of 477 articles were identified, of which 20 publications involving 451,173 subjects met the inclusion criteria. Results: Meta-analysis of 8 studies showed that compared with the group of non-chronic HBV infection, there was significant difference between two groups in the incidence of GDM. The result indicated that HBV infection during pregnancy was the risk factor for GDM (OR=1.42, 95% CI: 1.19 +/- 1.49, P=0.0001). Conclusions: These results indicate that HBV infection during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of developing GDM among pregnant women.