Lamivudine Resistance Polymorphism in Hepatitis B Virus, among Pregnant Women Attending Secondary Health Care Facilities in Nasarawa State, Nigeria

Abstract

Aims: This study investigated lamivudine resistance polymorphism in HBV among pregnant women attending Secondary Healthcare facilities in Nasarawa State, Nigeria. Study Design: Cross sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Microbiology, Nasarawa State University, between December 2024 and June 2025. Methodology: A total of 15 seropositive samples were collected from pregnant women attending secondary health facilities in Nasarawa State, Nigeria. HBV genotypes and lamivudine resistance genes were detected using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. The polymorphism in lamivudine resistance in HBV was detected using Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP). Results: The prevalence of HBV genotype E (7, 58.3%) was found to be higher than genotype A (1, 8.3%). Most notably, 5(83.3%) of the HBV resistance to lamivudine were due to YMDD without substitution of the amino acid while 1(16.7%) of the HBV resistance to lamivudine was due to YvDD variant as a result of the substitution of the methionine with valine. Conclusion: The high prevalence of genotype E and concerning rates of lamivudine-resistant HBV strains among pregnant women highlight an urgent need to update clinical guidelines by adopting high-barrier antiviral drugs and implementing routine genotyping and resistance testing to ensure effective prophylaxis.