title: Active immunization of homosexual men using a recombinant hepatitis B vaccine.
abstract: Twenty homosexual men [13 anti-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive, seven anti-HIV negative] without HBsAg, anti-HBs, and anti-HBc were vaccinated with three 20 micrograms doses of a recombinant hepatitis B vaccine. All anti-HIV-positive homosexuals were nonresponders independent of the initial number of CD4-positive cells. Among seven anti-HIV-negative individuals, five responded. After three doses of the vaccine, CD4-positive cells fell in anti-HIV positive individuals by 22.4%. A similar fall in CD4-positive cells of an average 24.9% was noted in 17 matching, but nonvaccinated, anti-HIV-positive homosexuals. The study indicates that the efficacy of vaccination in anti-HIV-positive individuals is questionable. There is, however, no evidence that vaccination against hepatitis B might be harmful to anti-HIV-positive subjects.
authors.affiliation: I. Medical Department, Johannes-Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Federal Republic of Germany.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hess
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rossol
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Voth
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cheatham-Speth
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Clemens
authors.forename: K H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Meyer zum Büschenfelde
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001772:Blood Cell Count; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000276:immunology; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000276:immunology; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000276:immunology*; D006716:Homosexuality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014612:Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic / Q000276:immunology*; D014761:Viral Hepatitis Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D014612:Vaccines; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic; D014761:Viral Hepatitis Vaccines