title: Immune memory to hepatitis B persists in children aged 7-8 years, who were vaccinated in infancy with 4 doses of hexavalent DTPa-HBV-IPV/Hib (Infanrix™ hexa) vaccine.
abstract: Protection against hepatitis B disease relies on either protective serum antibodies or on the ability of the immune system to mount an anamnestic response when confronted with the hepatitis B virus (HBV). This open multicenter study (EUDRACT: 2010-022538-10) measured antibodies to HBV surface antigen (anti-HBs) in 7-8-year-old children who had received 4 doses of hexavalent diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis-HBV-inactivated poliovirus-Hemophilus influenzae type b conjugate vaccine (DTPa-HBV-IPV/Hib: Infanrix™ hexa; GlaxoSmithKline Vaccines) in the first 2 years of life through routine vaccine services in Germany. The ability of these children to mount an anamnestic response to a challenge dose of monovalent HBV vaccine (Engerix™ B Kinder; GlaxoSmithKline Vaccines) was also assessed. Before the challenge dose, 78.5% of children had anti-HBs levels ≥6.2 mIU/mL (seropositive) and 72.2% had anti-HBs levels ≥10 mIU/mL (seroprotected). Post-challenge, 98.9% had anti-HBs levels ≥10 mIU/mL and 95.8% had anti-HBs ≥100 mIU/mL. An anamnestic response to the challenge was observed in 96.6% of all subjects. The challenge dose was well tolerated, with a reactogenicity and safety profile consistent with published data. DTPa-HBV-IPV/Hib induces long-lasting immune memory to HBV that appears very similar to that induced by monovalent HBV vaccines. Protection against hepatitis B may be conferred through immune memory in subjects who responded to primary vaccination, even when they subsequently lose detectable levels of circulating anti-HBs antibodies.
authors.affiliation: GlaxoSmithKline Vaccines; Wavre, Belgium.
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Van Der Meeren
authors.affiliation: Kinder und Jugendarzt; Baunatal, Germany.
authors.forename: Gerhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bleckmann
authors.affiliation: GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals; Bangalore, India.
authors.forename: Priya D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Crasta
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015721:Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis Vaccine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D018073:Haemophilus Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology*; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D011054:Poliovirus Vaccine, Inactivated / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology*; D013997:Time Factors; D014611:Vaccination / Q000379:methods*; D017778:Vaccines, Combined / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D015721:Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis Vaccine; D018073:Haemophilus Vaccines; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines; D011054:Poliovirus Vaccine, Inactivated; D017778:Vaccines, Combined; C541235:diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis-inactivated poliovirus-Haemophilus influenzae b conjugate-hepatitis B vaccine
keywords: anti-HBs; hepatitis B; immune memory; long-term; persistence