title: Antibody determination in an ongoing hepatitis B vaccination program.
abstract: In an interim analysis of our ongoing immunization program against hepatitis B (HB), started in early 1982, we tested 283 serum samples from 77 female and 110 male vaccinees for antibody to HB surface antigen (anti-HBs). We compared two methods, Anti-HBs EIA (ROCHE) (method 1), which is a neutralization test, and AUSABR EIA (method 2), which is a double-antigen-sandwich test. The nonresponder rate (after the 12-month booster dose of Hevac B Pasteur) was 4% in females with both methods, in males 15% measured with method 1 and 11% measured with method 2. Five healthy HBsAg carriers were detected only by method 1. When the samples were grouped according to their anti-HBs titers, method 1 measured higher in samples taken after three vaccine doses and method 2 did so in samples collected after the 12-month booster dose. This tendency was confirmed with samples from slow responders who received a 4th vaccine dose soon after the initial three doses. We therefore confirm the efficacy of the plasma-derived HBsAg vaccine and validate the assay systems used to measure anti-HBs, one parameter of immunity to HB virus infection.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000276:immunology*; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000032:analysis* / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines; D006801:Humans; D007117:Immunization, Secondary; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D012737:Sex Factors; D014761:Viral Hepatitis Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines; D014761:Viral Hepatitis Vaccines