title: Persistence of antibodies and immune memory to hepatitis B vaccine 20 years after infant vaccination in Thailand.
abstract: Booster vaccination against hepatitis B (HBV) is not currently recommended, although debate continues on the duration of protection after priming. We assessed antibody persistence and immune memory to hepatitis B 20 years after priming with a recombinant HBV-vaccine during infancy. Infants were vaccinated at birth, 1, 2 and 12 months of age. A subset received a booster dose at Year 5. Antibody persistence was measured approximately yearly until Year 20. Immune memory was assessed by administration of HBV booster dose. At Year 20, anti-HBs seroprotection rates and GMCs tended to be higher in Year 5 boosted than unboosted recipients (83.9% versus 60.5%). After the Year 20 booster dose, anti-HBs anamnestic responses were within the same range 95.8% of subjects in both groups. Primary and booster vaccination with HBV-vaccine in infants induces sustained seroprotection and immune memory against hepatitis B for up to 20 years. Higher persisting seroprotection rates in subjects boosted at Year 5 did not translate into apparent differences in immune memory in a high endemic country.
authors.affiliation: Center of Excellence in Clinical Virology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand. Yong.P@chula.ac.th
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Poovorawan
authors.forename: Voranush
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Chongsrisawat
authors.forename: Apiradee
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Theamboonlers
authors.forename: Hans L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Bock
authors.forename: Maarten
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leyssen
authors.forename: Jeanne-Marie
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Jacquet
mesh_terms: D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007117:Immunization, Secondary / Q000379:methods; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D007223:Infant; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D013785:Thailand; D014611:Vaccination / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines