AIM: To evaluate the seroprevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in 13 581 women at reproductive age and the hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)/anti-HBe status as well as serum hepatitis B virus (HBV)-DNA levels in a subgroup of HBsAg(+) pregnant women at labor in Greece. METHODS: Serological markers were detected using enzyme immunoassays. Serum HBV-DNA was determined by a sensitive quantitative PCR assay. Statistical analysis of data was based on parametric methodology. RESULTS: Overall, 1.156% of women were HBsAg(+) and the majority of them (71.3%) were Albanian. The prevalence of HBsAg was 5.1% in Albanian women, 4.2% in Asian women and 1.14% in women from Eastern European countries. The prevalence of HBsAg in African (0.36%) and Greek women (0.29%) was very low. Only 4.45% of HBsAg (+) women were also HBeAg(+) whereas the vast majority of them were HBeAg(-)/anti-HBe(+). Undetectable levels of viremia (<200 copies/mL) were observed in 32.26% of pregnant women at labor and 29.03% exhibited extremely low levels of viral replication (<400 copies/mL). Only two pregnant women exhibited extremely high serum HBV-DNA levels (>10 000 000 copies/mL), whereas 32.26% exhibited HBV-DNA levels between 1 500 and 40 000 copies/mL. CONCLUSION: The overall prevalence of HBsAg is relatively low among women at reproductive age in Greece but is higher enough among specific populations. The HBeAg(-)/anti-HBe(+) serological status and the extremely low or even undetectable viral replicative status in the majority of HBsAg(+) women of our study population, suggest that only a small proportion of HBsAg(+) women in Greece exhibit a high risk for vertical transmission of the infection. AIM: To evaluate the seroprevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in 13 581 women at reproductive age and the hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) / anti-HBe status as well as serum hepatitis B virus (HBV) -DNA levels in a METHODS: Serological HBV were determined by a sensitive quantitative PCR assay. Statistical analysis of data was based on parametric methodology. RESULTS: Overall, 1.156% of women were HBsAg (+) and the majority of them (71.3%) were Albanian. The prevalence of HBsAg was 5.1% in Albanian women, 4.2% in Asian women and 1.14% in women from Eastern European countries. The prevalence of HBsAg in African (0.36%) and Greek women (0.29%) was very low. Only 4.45% of HBsAg (+) women were also HBeAg (+) whereas the vast majority of them were HBeAg (-) / anti- HBe ). Undetectable levels of viremia (<200 copies / mL) were observed in 32.26% of pregnant women at labor and 29.0 Only two pregnant women exhibited extremely high serum HBV-DNA levels (> 10 000 000 copies / mL), while 32.26% exhibited HBV-DNA levels between 1 500 and 40 000 copies / mL. CONCLUSION: The overall prevalence of HBsAg is relatively low among women at reproductive age in Greece but is higher enough among specific populations. The HBeAg (-) / anti-HBe (+) serological status and the extremely low or even undetectable viral replicative status in the majority of HBsAg (+) women of our study population, suggest that only a small proportion of HBsAg (+) women in Greece exhibit a high risk for vertical transmission of the infection.