title: Hepatitis B vaccine immunoresponsiveness in adolescents: a revaccination proposal after primary vaccination.
abstract: Hepatitis B recombinant vaccine immunoresponsiveness was studied in 427 preadolescents vaccinated with a 0, 1 and 6 months vaccination schedule. AntiHBs postvaccination titres (measured one month after the last dose) were related to the following variables: sex; weight; height; and Quetelet index. The antiHBs postvaccination titres were used to predict the length of protection induced by the vaccine. All preadolescents developed antiHBs titres 10 IU l-1 and no statistically significant differences could be found between sexes. The relation study between antiHBs postvaccination levels and Quetelet index showed a statistically significant inverse correlation. According to the antiHBs postvaccination titres, the central 50% of the sample distribution would be protected during a period between 7.5 and 10.5 years. In pre-teenagers, the hepatitis B recombinant vaccine has proven to be highly immunogenic, obesity is a predictor of poor immunoresponse and this response is not influenced by sex. According to our results, we would propose the administration of a single booster dose 10 years after primary vaccination and thus protect these subjects during the period of greatest risk.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Salud Altabix de Elche, Spain.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Simó Miñana
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gaztambide Ganuza
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fernández Millán
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Peña Fernández
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000517:prevention & control; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines / Q000276:immunology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D014611:Vaccination
chemical_list: D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines