Immune response to hepatitis B vaccine of subjects with isolated antibody to hepatitis B core antigen.
OBJECTIVE
For subjects with isolated antibody to hepatitis B core antigen, vaccination can help discriminate various diagnostic possibilities. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical significance of isolated antibody to hepatitis B core antigen.


METHODS
A total of 1403 hospital personnel were screened for hepatitis B surface antigen, antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen and antibody to hepatitis B core antigen by radioimmunoassay. Thirty subjects were confirmed to have isolated antibody to hepatitis B core antigen, and 278 subjects lacked all hepatitis B virus markers. Twenty-five of the 30 subjects (group I) and 136 of the 278 subjects (group II) were vaccinated by hepatitis B vaccine at months 0, 1, 6; followed by checking antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen in geometric mean titres at months 1, 2, and 7.


RESULTS
The geometric mean titres of antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen were higher in group I than in group II at month 1 (9.1 +/- 8.6 vs. 3.2 +/- 6.0, p < 0.05), and were lower in group I than group II at month 7 (267.2 +/- 17.2 vs. 2315.3 +/- 5.1, p < 0.05). Furthermore, primary response was higher in group II than group I (73.3% vs. 35.7%, p < 0.05), but anamnestic response and non-response were higher in group I than group II (50% vs 26.7%, p = 0.116 with a trend; 14.3% vs. 0%, p < 0.01, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
For subjects with isolated antibody to hepatitis B core antigen, a strategy concerning sequential vaccination followed by checking antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen might be adopted to avoid two extra vaccine dosages and ineffective vaccination.
Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Buddhist Dalin Tzu Chi General Hospital, Chia-Yi, Taiwan.
Kuo-Chih
KC
Tseng
Huan-Yao
HY
Lei
Pin-Nan
PN
Cheng
Kung-Chia
KC
Young
Chung-Min
CM
Jen
Chao-Hsien
CH
Wu
Ting-Tsung
TT
Chang
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D014761:Viral Hepatitis Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*
D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens; D014761:Viral Hepatitis Vaccines