title: Influence of maternal antibody against hepatitis B surface antigen on active immune response to hepatitis B vaccine in infants.
abstract: Transplacentally acquired maternal antibodies in infants may inhibit active immune responses to vaccines. In this study, we compared the immunogenicity of the recombinant hepatitis B vaccine, which was intramuscularly injected at 0, 1, and 6 months of age, in 71 infants born to mothers with positive or negative antibody against hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBs). Forty-one infants born to anti-HBs positive mothers were all positive at birth. At 2 months after the second injection, anti-HBs in 30 infants with negative maternal antibody was significantly higher than that in 41 infants with positive maternal anti-HBs (191.1mIU/ml vs. 96.2mIU/ml, P=0.018). At one month after the full immunization, the anti-HBs levels had no statistical difference between maternal anti-HBs negative and positive groups, but the antibody response in infants with high maternal anti-HBs (>1000mIU/ml) was significantly inhibited. Nevertheless, all infants had anti-HBs higher than the protective level. In conclusion, passively acquired maternal anti-HBs in infants may to some extent impair the antibody response to hepatitis B vaccine. The long-term efficacy of hepatitis B vaccine in infants with high titers of maternal anti-HBs remains to be further evaluated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Nanjing University Medical School, 321 Zhong Shan Road, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Yali
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Qiaozhen
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Biyun
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Zhenxian
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Zhiqun
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yi-Hua
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000937:Antigen-Antibody Reactions; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000276:immunology; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000032:analysis* / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange / Q000276:immunology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014611:Vaccination; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic / Q000276:immunology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic