title: Antibody persistence and immune memory elicited by combined hepatitis A and B vaccination in older adults.
abstract: Response to hepatitis A and B vaccines has been reported to decline with age. This open, prospective, single-site study examined the long-term response to the combined hepatitis A/B vaccine Twinrix in 98 primary responders aged 45-67 years. Levels of antibody against hepatitis A virus (HAV) and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBs) were tested 30 months after initial vaccination. At this stage, all participants remained seropositive for anti-HAV and 70% for anti-HBs. A booster vaccination was offered to those who had responded to the first vaccination but then lost protective levels of anti-HBs. An anamnestic response was observed in all cases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany. thomas.hoehler@prosper-hospital.de
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Höhler
authors.forename: Gudrun
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Groeger-Bicanic
authors.forename: Bernard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hoet
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stoffel
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000276:immunology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D035922:Hepatitis A Antibodies / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology*; D022362:Hepatitis A Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007156:Immunologic Memory / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D017778:Vaccines, Combined / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D035922:Hepatitis A Antibodies; D022362:Hepatitis A Vaccines; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines; D017778:Vaccines, Combined