title: Hepatitis B virus vaccination-related seroprevalence among health-care personnel in a Japanese tertiary medical center.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Few studies concerning the protective management of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection among health-care personnel (HCP), excluding occult HBV or carriers, have been reported. Therefore, we undertook a cross-sectional study of the updated status of HBV vaccine management by measuring the antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBs) along with the antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc).
  
  
  METHODS
  Both anti-HBs and anti-HBc were assessed in 1085 HCP employed by our institute. Hepatitis B virus vaccination-related histories were recorded using self-administered questionnaires.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 1085 HCP, 27 (2.5%) were positive for anti-HBc, and its positive rate increased with age. Of the 1058 subjects with negative anti-HBc, 879 (83.1%) were positive for anti-HBs. The median titer of anti-HBs was 71.1 mIU/mL, which was higher in female subjects (P = 0.037). By age group, the positive rate of anti-HBs were 77.5%, 89.3%, 90.8%, and 81.6% in the groups aged ≤29, 30-39, 40-49, and ≥50 years, respectively (P < 0.001). Of the 908 subjects who reported receiving HBV vaccination, 6 (0.7%) were positive for anti-HBc. Among them, one subject was suspected to have a possible subclinical HBV infection after the HBV vaccination.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We report the current HBV vaccination-related seroprevalence of anti-HBs along with anti-HBc in a Japanese tertiary medical institution consisting of more than 1000 HCP, which was an level comparable to similar sized hospitals in developed countries. Anti-HBc would be important for understanding HBV status, but not necessary for general HBV vaccine management for HCP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo.
authors.forename: Mikio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yanase
authors.affiliation: The Research Center for Hepatitis and Immunology, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Chiba, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazumoto
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Murata
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo.
authors.forename: Shintaro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mikami
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo.
authors.forename: Yuichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nozaki
authors.affiliation: The Research Center for Hepatitis and Immunology, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Chiba, Japan.
authors.forename: Naohiko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Masaki
authors.affiliation: The Research Center for Hepatitis and Immunology, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Chiba, Japan.
authors.forename: Masashi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mizokami
keywords: antibody to hepatitis B core antigen; antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen; health-care personnel; hepatitis B virus vaccination