Effectiveness of hepatitis B vaccination in babies born to hepatitis B surface antigen-positive mothers in Italy.
This study examined 522 children born to hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive mothers from 1985 through 1994 and evaluated the protection provided by anti-hepatitis B virus (HBV) immunization at birth. Babies were given hepatitis B immunoglobulin and hepatitis B vaccine at birth. At 5-14 years after immunization, 17 children (3.3%) were anti-HB core antigen positive, and 3 also were HBsAg positive. One carrier child had a double mutation, with substitution of proline-->serine at codons 120 (P120S) and 127 (P127S) within the a determinant of HBsAg. Of the 522 children, 400 (79.2%) of 505 still had protective anti-HBsAg titers > or =10 mIU/mL. Thus, HBV vaccination of children born to HBsAg-positive mothers is effective and confers long-term immunity. There is no evidence that the emergence of HBV escape mutants secondary to the immune pressure against wild-type HBV is of concern.
Mele
A
A
Clinical Epidemiology Unit, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy. amele@iss.it
Tancredi
F
F
Romanò
L
L
Giuseppone
A
A
Colucci
M
M
Sangiuolo
A
A
Lecce
R
R
Adamo
B
B
Tosti
M E
ME
Taliani
G
G
Zanetti
A R
AR
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002353:Carrier State / Q000821:virology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000821:virology; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood* / Q000737:chemistry; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D009154:Mutation; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000821:virology; D014611:Vaccination; D019444:Vaccines, DNA
D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines; D019444:Vaccines, DNA