title: Immunogenicity of a recombinant Pre-S2-containing hepatitis B vaccine versus plasma-derived vaccine administered as a booster.
abstract: GenHevac B Pasteur is a recombinant hepatitis B vaccine derived from a mammalian cell line and containing HBs as well as pre-S2 antigens. Its immunogenicity was compared to that of the plasma-derived vaccine Hevac B Pasteur in a population primovaccinated 5.5 years earlier with four injections of the same plasma vaccine. The booster injection with either GenHevac or Hevac was administered to 295 subjects with residual anti-HBs titres below 500 IU/l (group 1: 0-9; group 2: 10-99; group 3: 100-499 IU/l). After four weeks, GenHevac had induced higher anti-HBs responses than Hevac in all groups, particularly among the low responders of group 1. Response to the vaccine occurred earlier with GenHevac. Mean anti-pre-S2 production was moderate in all groups for both vaccines (GenHevac: 60 IU/l; Hevac: 31 IU/l) and was not found in the 32 subjects who produced less than 100 IU/l anti-HBs. The results of the present study indicate that GenHevac is at least as immunogenic as Hevac.
authors.affiliation: Division of Immunology and Allergology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bucher
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Francioli
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Geudelin
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fritzell
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lavanchy
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Frei
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007117:Immunization, Secondary; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013997:Time Factors; D014613:Vaccines, Attenuated / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines; D014613:Vaccines, Attenuated; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic