Can HB vaccine yield a booster effect on individuals with positive serum anti-HBs and anti-HBc markers?
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate if HB vaccination can yield a booster effect on the anti-HBs level of those naturally acquired HBV positive markers.


METHODS
Sera were collected from 1399 newly enrolled university students aged between 18-20 years at the entrance medical examination in 2001. Forty-four students (28 males and 16 females) with positive serum anti-HBs and anti-HBc markers served as an observation group and another 44 students (24 males and 20 females) without any HBV markers as the control. HB vaccination was given to all the students without positive serum HBsAg according to 0, 1, 6 month regimen and the peripheral venous blood was sampled from those of both observation and control groups for anti-HBs detection one month after the second and third doses. Anti-HBs levels were measured by ELISA.


RESULTS
The seroconversion rate of anti-HBs in the control group was 100% after the second dose, but the geometric mean titers (GMTs) were low. The tendency of serum anti-HBs changes after the 3rd dose was completely different between the two groups. Although more than half of those with positive anti-HBs and anti-HBc showed a mild increase of anti-HBs levels after the 2nd boosting dose (mean anti-HBs level was 320:198 mIU), but the increase of serum anti-HBs titer was much smaller than that in the control group. The averages of their initial serum anti-HBs levels and the levels after the 2nd and 3rd doses were 198, 320 and 275 mIU respectively. All the subjects from the control group had an obvious increase in their serum anti-HBs levels which was nearly 4 times the baseline level (302:78 mIU).


CONCLUSIONS
HB vaccination can not enhance anti-HBs levels in those with positive serum anti-HBs and anti-HBc markers.
Wang
Ru-Xiang
RX
Shenyang Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenyang 110031, China. rxwtxh@pub.sy.ln.cn
Guo
Ying
Y
Yang
Chang-Hong
CH
Song
Yu
Y
Chen
Juan
J
Pang
Fu-Sheng
FS
Lei
Shao-Ping
SP
Jia
Xiao-Ming
XM
Wen
Jin-Ying
JY
Shi
Christina Y
CY
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000097:blood*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood*; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007117:Immunization, Secondary; D008297:Male
D015415:Biomarkers; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines