title: Influenza vaccination in HBsAg positive chronic active hepatitis patients treated with interferon.
abstract: Sixteen patients with hepatitis B antigen (HBsAg) positive chronic active hepatitis (CAH) were vaccinated with the nonhuman influenza A virus Heq1Neq1; eight patients were also treated with leucocyte interferon. Pre-vaccination sera were negative for specific antibody in hemagglutination inhibition tests. Four weeks after vaccination all patients had responded with a homologous antibody titer. Between the interferon-treated and the untreated groups the differences in antibody titers against the vaccine virus were not significant. Concomitant with the antibody response against the nonhuman influenza virus, a fourfold or higher antibody rise was observed against the influenza A virus strains Hsw1N1 (in six treated with seven untreated patients), H1N1 (in six treated and four untreated patients) and H3N2 (in five treated patients only). The results suggest that a normal specific antibody response in HBsAg positive chronic active hepatitis patients is not significantly altered by leucocyte interferon, and that non-specific antibody production can occur in the absence of a serologic relationship.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D006385:Hemagglutination Inhibition Tests; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D009980:Influenza A virus / Q000276:immunology*; D007252:Influenza Vaccines; D007372:Interferons / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007962:Leukocytes; D008875:Middle Aged; D014611:Vaccination
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D007252:Influenza Vaccines; D007372:Interferons