Clinical and immunologic features of chronic dialysis patients who fail to respond to hepatitis B vaccine.
Eighteen patients on chronic dialysis (15 haemodialysis, three peritoneal) were evaluated to determine whether certain clinical features and/or in vitro indicators of immune function correlated with the response to hepatitis B vaccine. Only 44% of patients developed antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBS) following vaccination and neither duration of dialysis, history of renal transplant, peripheral T cell numbers, T4/T8 ratios, nor mitogen induced lymphocyte proliferation correlated with response to vaccination. Advanced age, history of multiple blood transfusions and depressed levels of IgM may be associated with a poor antibody response to the vaccine. Future studies need to consider these variables when evaluating immunogenicity of new hepatitis B vaccine preparations.
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D014761:Viral Hepatitis Vaccines / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D014761:Viral Hepatitis Vaccines