Intradermal vaccination of adults with three low doses (2 micrograms) of recombinant hepatitis B vaccine. I. Seroconversion rate and adverse effects.
A total of 250 dentists (53.6% men and 46.4% women), with a mean age of 35.1 +/- 9.8 years, were submitted to serological tests for the diagnosis of hepatitis B (HB)--HBsAg, anti-HBs, anti-HBc, HBeAg, and anti-HBe--using a radioimmunoassay. One or more of these markers were detected in 78 individuals (31.2%) who were excluded from the group to be vaccinated. Of the 172 HB-susceptible individuals, 135 (78.5%) responded to the call and were intradermally injected with three 2 micrograms doses of the Belgian HB recombinant vaccine, applied at an interval of one month between the 1st and 2nd dose and of five months between the 2nd and 3rd dose. A new determination of HB markers carried out 50 days after the 3rd dose showed that 110 (81.5%) individuals had become anti-HBs positive (65.5% good responders and 34.5% poor responders). Mean serum anti-HBs titer of these 110 dentists was 42.4 U S/N, similar in both sexes. The adverse effects analyzed in 106 dentists were: (a) local: pain (12.3%), burning sensation (14.1%), pruritus (25.5%), erythema (28.3%), local heat (18.9%), and a hypochromic spot (32.1%); (b) systemic (4.7%): discomfort in two patients, and fever, anorexia, and asthenia in one patient each. Intradermal administration of a fourth 2 micrograms vaccine dose to 39 dentists (poor or non-responders) increased the total number of anti-HBs-positive individuals from 110 (81.5%) to 114 (84.4%), with the number of good responders increasing from 72 (65.5%) to 85 (74.6%). We conclude that the Belgian recombinant vaccine applied in the scheme used here induces a high rate of seroconversion and causes only mild and transitory adverse effects.
Baldy
José Luís da S
JL
Hospital Universitário Regional do Norte do Paraná, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Av. Robert Koch 60, 86038-440 Londrina, PR, Brasil. baldy@sercomtel.com.br
Elisbão
Maria do Carmo M
Mdo C
Anzai
Edson T
ET
Pontello
Rubens
R
Reiche
Edna Maria V
EM
Zaha-Inouye
Marta M
MM
Matsuo
Tiemi
T
Tonani
Pedro C
PC
Ferelle
Antônio
A
Henriques
João N
JN
Neves
Jayme
J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D003815:Dentists; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000276:immunology*; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000276:immunology; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007115:Immunization Schedule; D007156:Immunologic Memory / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000276:immunology
D015415:Biomarkers; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic