title: Breakthrough infections and identification of a viral variant in Gambian children immunized with hepatitis B vaccine.
abstract: Hepatitis B (HB) breakthrough infections, identified by the presence of HB core (c) antibody, were found in 32 of 358 Gambian children vaccinated with plasma-derived HB vaccine. Over 2 years, 15 of these children lost their HBc antibodies. These children had significantly higher HB surface antibody levels before infection than those who retained HBc antibodies. One child, who responded well to the vaccine, had HB viral DNA detected in the presence of HBs antibodies. The S gene sequence of this DNA showed nucleotide changes that resulted in an amino acid substitution at residue 141 (lysine to glutamic acid) of the surface antigen. This finding suggests the child was infected with a variant virus that was not neutralized by antibodies resulting from HB vaccination.
authors.affiliation: International Agency for Research on Cancer, The Gambia Hepatitis Intervention Study, Banjul.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fortuin
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Karthigesu
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Allison
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Howard
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hoare
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mendy
authors.forename: H C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Whittle
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D005714:Gambia / Q000453:epidemiology; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D014611:Vaccination
chemical_list: D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines