Safety and immunogenicity of a recombinant hepatitis B vaccine in patients infected with Schistosoma mansoni.
Thirty Egyptian males, 8-31 years of age, with active Schistosoma mansoni infection and negative serologic tests for hepatitis B markers, were vaccinated with a recombinant hepatitis B vaccine (Merck's Recombivax). The vaccine was given intramuscularly in the deltoid region in three 10 micrograms doses at 0, 1, and 6 months. All patients were treated with praziquantel 2 months after the first vaccination. Sera were collected every 2 months for 12 months and tested for anti-HBs using a quantitative ELISA technique. There were no side reactions except for mild local soreness at the injection site in 3 patients. At 12 months, all subjects seroconverted (antibody levels greater than 10 mIU/mL); 24 patients (80%) developed antibody levels greater than 1,000 mIU/mL. As with a plasma-derived vaccine, antibody levels were negatively correlated with increasing spleen size. A recombinant hepatitis B vaccine was safe and immunogenic when given to patients with schistosomiasis mansoni.
Bassily
S
S
Clinical Investigation Division, U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit No. 3 (NAMRU-3), Cairo, Egypt.
Hyams
K C
KC
el-Ghorab
N
N
el-Masry
N A
NA
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011223:Praziquantel / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012555:Schistosomiasis mansoni / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D013154:Spleen / Q000473:pathology; D014611:Vaccination; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic / Q000276:immunology; D014761:Viral Hepatitis Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000276:immunology*
D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic; D014761:Viral Hepatitis Vaccines; D011223:Praziquantel