title: Yeast-derived hepatitis B vaccine in thalassaemic patients: a preliminary report.
abstract: Preliminary results of a trial involving a yeast-derived hepatitis B vaccine administered to 41 transfusion-dependent thalassaemic patients and 2 patients with spherocytosis are reported. Twenty-microgram doses of HBsAg were administered according to either a 0, 1, and 6 month or 0, 1, and 2 month schedule. Serum specimens collected prior to vaccination, one month after each vaccine dose, and again at 5 and 15 months, were tested for HBV markers and ALT. To date, seroconversion (anti-HBs titres greater than 10 IU/l) was observed in 15%, 67%, and 86% of patients one month following the three vaccine doses, respectively. Although the study is still in progress, a comparison of these results with those previously obtained using plasma-derived vaccine indicates that seroconversion to the recombinant yeast-derived vaccine is at least as high as that obtained by plasma-derived vaccines in patients affected by thalassaemia major.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Igiene e Medicina Preventiva, Università di Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Giammanco
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: De Grandi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pignato
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dolci
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Congia
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pisu
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: De Virgiliis
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000941:Antigens / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004274:DNA, Recombinant / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000235:genetics; D013789:Thalassemia / Q000276:immunology*; D013997:Time Factors; D014611:Vaccination; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000941:Antigens; D004274:DNA, Recombinant; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic