title: Long-term persistence of anti-HBs after hepatitis B immunization in thalassaemic patients.
abstract: An epidemiological study was carried out on 114 beta-thalassaemics in order to select those subjects susceptible to hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection for hepatitis B vaccination. The results confirmed the high risk of HBV infection in these patients: 9.6% were HBsAg positive, 29.8% were anti-HBs positive/anti-HBc positive, and 9% were anti-HBc positive. In 60 HBV-negative patients, 20 micrograms doses of hepatitis B vaccine were administered on a schedule of 0, 1 and 6 months. Sera were collected for six years to determine the seroconversion rate and the anti-HBs titre. Seroconversion reached a maximum rate of 93% 12 months after the first vaccination dose and was 80% at the final control (72 months). Highly protective anti-HBs titres were observed until the last control in a high percentage of subjects. The HBVax hepatitis B vaccine has been shown to be safe, immunogenic and effective in beta-thalassaemics.
authors.affiliation: Istituto Policattedra Clinica Medica e Malattie Infettive, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dentico
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Buongiorno
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Volpe
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zavoianni
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: De Mattia
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sabato
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000917:Antibody Formation; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood*; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D010044:Outpatient Clinics, Hospital; D015995:Prevalence; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D017086:beta-Thalassemia / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines