Serotype Prevalence of Group B Streptococcus among Pregnant Women in Iran: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses from 2007-2022
نویسندگان
1 Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
2 Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
3 Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
4 Department of Pathobiology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
doi
10.22074/ijfs.2025.2011534.1540چکیده
Background: Group B Streptococcus (GBS; Streptococcus agalactiae) is a significant cause of invasive disease innewborns, often stemming from recto-vaginal colonization in pregnant women. The GBS capsular polysaccharide isa major virulence factor, and ten distinct serotypes (Ia, Ib, II–IX) have now been identified. Understanding the prevalenceof these serotypes in maternal colonization is crucial for vaccine development. This study aims to determine theserotype prevalence of GBS among Iranian pregnant women.Materials and Methods: A systematic search was conducted in MEDLINE (via PubMed), Embase, Web of Science,and the Iranian Databases (SID and Magiran) for studies published between January 2000 and March 2023. Studieswere included if they used standardized methods for GBS detection, including recto-vaginal specimen collection andidentification [selective media and molecular detection of GBS-specific gene (dltS and atr)]. Studies using nonstandardmethods (e.g., cervical, perianal, perirectal or perineal specimens), or focusing on non-maternal GBS colonizationwere excluded. Meta-analyses were performed using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis (Biostat V2.2) software toestimate serotype prevalence with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).Results: Of 330 articles identified, 14 studies met the inclusion criteria. The meta-analyses showed that 93.2% (95%CI: 90-95.5) of GBS isolates had identifiable serotypes. The predominant serotype was serotype III [39.6% (95% CI:31.6-48.2)], followed by serotypes II [16.8% (95% CI: 13.8-20.4)], V [14.1% (95% CI: 11.2-17.6)], VI [12.4 (95% CI:8.2-18.5)], Ia [11.7% (95 CI: 7.8-17.2)] and Ib [11.2 (95% CI: 6.9-17.6)].Conclusion: Serotype III is the most common GBS serotype among pregnant women in Iran, followed by serotypesII, V, VI, Ia, and Ib. These findings suggest that a pentavalent vaccine targeting these serotypes could be beneficial forpreventing GBS-related complications in Iranian pregnant women. However, further research is needed to evaluatethe efficacy and implementation of such a vaccine.
