title: Immunization against hepatitis B through adoptive transfer of immunity.
abstract: Clearance of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection requires an effective T-cell-dependent humoral response that is often defective in HBV carriers and in immunosuppressed patients. We have shown in mice and humans that bone marrow (BM)-derived memory cells, capable of producing antibodies to the HBV envelope and nucleocapsid antigens, are transferable from BM donors (BMD) to their recipients. BMD BALB/c mice were immunized with recombinant HBV surface antigen (HBsAg), and BM from anti-HBs-positive donors was transplanted to irradiated recipient mice, who seroconverted to anti-HBs within 30 days of bone marrow transplantation (BMT), and responded to booster vaccination. In a similar manner, 19/26 human BM recipients, who received their HLA-matched BM from BMDs immunized once with HBsAg, seroconverted within several weeks after BMT. Antibodies to HBsAg were also observed in 3 recipients of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) obtained from HLA-matched immunized human donors. Finally, clearance of HBsAg and HBV DNA was observed in an HBsAg carrier with leukemia who received BMT from his HLA-matched anti-HBc+/anti-HBs+ brother. These results indicate that adoptive transfer of immunity to HBV may be achieved through immunization of BM or PBL donors against HBV.
authors.affiliation: Division of Medicine, Hadassah University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Shouval
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ilan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007116:Immunization, Passive; D017710:Lymphocyte Transfusion; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C
chemical_list: D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens