title: Efficacy of accelerated hepatitis B vaccination program in patients being actively treated for hematologic malignancies.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The goal of this study was to conduct an accelerated vaccination program and to determine its efficacy in patients susceptible to hepatitis B virus (HBV) receiving chemotherapy because of their hematologic malignancies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Over a one-year period, a total of 327 patients who were diagnosed as having a hematologic malignancy were serologically analyzed in terms of HBV infection. Of those found to be susceptible to HBV infection, a total of 42 patients consisting of 16 females and 26 males were enrolled in the accelerated vaccination program. All the patients were administered a 20-microg yeast-derived recombinant hepatitis B vaccine on days 0, 14, and 28. Anti-HBs titers above 10IU/l at 1 and 3 months after the final dose were accepted as protective.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 146 (44.6%) patients were susceptible to HBV, while 13 (4.0%) were carriers, 28 (8.6%) were vaccinated, and 113 (34.5%) had had a previous HBV infection. A total of 42 patients (16 females and 26 males, mean age 34.5+/-10.9 years) were enrolled in the vaccination program. Overall, 23.8% (10/42) of the patients in the program had developed anti-HBs at one month after the last vaccination.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Poor results obtained by different vaccination programs suggest the need for alternative strategies to prevent the disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Ege University Faculty of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey. husnup@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Husnu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pullukcu
authors.forename: Ekin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ertem
authors.forename: Yildiray
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Karaca
authors.forename: Tansu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamazhan
authors.forename: Ruchan Yazan
authors.initials: RY
authors.lastname: Sertoz
authors.forename: Imre
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Altuglu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D019337:Hematologic Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens / Q000097:blood; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D007115:Immunization Schedule; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017678:Sex Distribution; D014611:Vaccination / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines