title: Hepatitis B third-generation vaccines: improved response and conventional vaccine non-response--evidence for genetic basis in humans.
abstract: The lack of response to hepatitis B vaccination remains a problem for those individuals directly at risk of hepatitis B infection, particularly those who work in the health care industry. The factors associated with non-response to hepatitis B vaccination have been investigated in 86 non-responder health care workers who had received multiple 'S' vaccinations without sustained production of anti-HBs. This group received a recently developed hepatitis B vaccine, Hepagene, which included proteins derived from the envelope region of HBV, not present in currently licensed vaccines. The pre-S1 and pre-S2 proteins were included in Hepagene in order to circumvent anti-HBs non-responsiveness which had previously been demonstrated in the inbred mouse model. The inclusion of these additional proteins in Hepagene enabled some seroconverion, from non-responder to responder; however, a proportion of the vaccinees remained non-responders and the reasons for this have been investigated here, with reference to HLA alleles and the demographic predisposition. Here the mechanisms that underlie hepatitis B vaccine non-response have considered the distribution of HLA alleles, age, sex, height and weight in addition to the T-cell responses to Hepagene derived antigens.
authors.affiliation: Anthony Nolan Research Institute, Hampstead, London, UK.
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: McDermott
authors.forename: S B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: J N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Zuckerman
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Madrigal
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001827:Body Height; D001835:Body Weight; D005838:Genotype; D006683:HLA-DQ Antigens / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000517:prevention & control; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000276:immunology; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012737:Sex Factors
chemical_list: D006683:HLA-DQ Antigens; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines