title: Hepatitis B virus vaccine switch program for prevention of de novo hepatitis B virus infection in pediatric patients.
abstract: The principal objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of Hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccine switch program after 1-year Hepatitis B immunoglobulin (HBIG) for the prevention of de novo HBV (DNHBV) infection in pediatric recipients of hepatitis B core antibody (anti-HBc)-positive grafts. In this study, we enrolled pediatric recipients (n = 14), who had undergone living donor liver transplantation with anti-HBc-positive grafts between July 2000 and July 2005 and were followed up for over 24 months after transplantation. HBIG was given daily during the first week and intermittently in order to maintain anti-hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBs) titers greater than 200 IU/l until 12 months post-transplantation. Then the HBV vaccine was given intermittently as a substitute for HBIG when anti-HBs titer fell below 200 IU/l. The median follow-up duration after vaccination was 26.5 months, and a median of 2.03 doses of vaccine per year was required for the maintenance of anti-HBs titers greater than at least 100 IU/l. Two of the patients did not start the HBV vaccine due to sustained high anti-HBs titer. Eleven completed the HBV switch, whereas 1 was ongoing. With the HBV vaccine switch program, anti-HBs titers greater than 100 IU/l could be maintained conveniently and effectively.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jae Berm
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Choon Hyuck David
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: Kwang-Woong
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Gyu-Seong
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Doo-Jin
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jeong-Min
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.forename: Sung-Joo
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jae-Won
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Joh
authors.forename: Suk-Koo
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007223:Infant; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D019520:Living Donors; D008297:Male; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines; D007136:Immunoglobulins; C045213:hepatitis B hyperimmune globulin