title: Hepatitis B immune status in adolescents vaccinated during infancy: A retrospective cohort study from a pediatric practice in Germany.
abstract: In Germany, vaccination of infants against hepatitis B is recommended since 1995. However, data on long-term immunity is sparse and the necessity of a booster dose remains uncertain. Aims of this study were to assess the long-term persistence of antibodies to the hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBs) after immunization during infancy and the effect of a subsequent hepatitis B booster vaccination during adolescence on anti-HBs levels. Patients from a private pediatric practice who had received a full vaccination course of hepatitis B as infants and who were quantitatively tested for anti-HBs during adolescence (pre-booster levels) were included. In those participants who received a hepatitis B booster, post-booster anti-HBs levels were measured. Univariate analyses were conducted to determine factors associated with pre- and post-booster anti-HBs levels, respectively. 106 participants (53% male) were included in the study. At an average of 13.7 y after primary vaccination, 14% of participants had an anti-HBs level of ≥100 IU/l, while 46% were at 10-99 IU/l and 40% had anti-HBs levels of <10 IU/l. In total, 34 received a booster vaccination. Of those, 97% (33/34) had post-booster anti-HBs levels ≥ 100 IU/l, which were independent from pre-booster levels. No other patient characteristics were associated with pre-booster or post-booster anti-HBs≥ 100 IU/l. Although almost half of study participants showed low anti-HBs levels at follow-up, robust responses to booster vaccination suggest that adolescents who received the full vaccination course during infancy are still protected against hepatitis B infection.
authors.affiliation: a Institute of Tropical Medicine and International Health, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin , Berlin , Germany.|b Robert Koch Institute, Immunization Unit , Berlin , Germany.
authors.forename: Carrie L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.affiliation: b Robert Koch Institute, Immunization Unit , Berlin , Germany.
authors.forename: Cornelius
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Remschmidt
authors.affiliation: c Pediatric practice , Gütersloh , Germany.
authors.forename: Frank-Peter
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: Drobnitzky
authors.affiliation: b Robert Koch Institute, Immunization Unit , Berlin , Germany.
authors.forename: Gerhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Falkenhorst
authors.affiliation: d Robert Koch Institute, Unit for HIV/AIDS, STI and Blood-borne infections , Berlin , Germany.
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zimmermann
authors.affiliation: b Robert Koch Institute, Immunization Unit , Berlin , Germany.
authors.forename: Ole
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Wichmann
authors.affiliation: b Robert Koch Institute, Immunization Unit , Berlin , Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Harder
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines
keywords: adolescent; anti-HBs; booster; hepatitis B; immune memory persistence; infant; vaccination