Protective efficacy, immunotherapeutic potential, and safety of hepatitis B vacc

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J Med Virol. 2006 Feb;78(2):169-77.

Protective efficacy, immunotherapeutic potential, and safety of hepatitis B

vaccines.

Zuckerman JN.

Academic Centre for Travel Medicine and Vaccines and the WHO Collaborating

Centre for Reference, Research and Training in Travel Medicine, Royal Free

and University College Medical School, University College London, London,

United Kingdom.

Hepatitis B vaccines are highly effective and safe and have been

incorporated into national immunization programs in over 150 countries. The

major humoral immune response is to the common a determinant of the surface

antigen protein of the virus. Approximately 5-10% of healthy immunocompetent

subjects do not mount an antibody response (anti-HBs). Non-response is

associated with different HLA-DR alleles and impaired Th cell response,

among other factors such as route of injection, age, gender, body mass, and

other factors. Important hepatitis B surface antigen variants have also been

identified, which may have a potential impact on immunization and routine

screening of blood, blood products and tissues, and organs for

transplantation. Strategies for hepatitis B immunization are reviewed. Over

1,000 million doses of hepatitis B vaccine have been used with an

outstanding record of safety. There is no evidence of an association between

hepatitis B vaccines and the sudden infant death syndrome, chronic fatigue

syndrome, and multiple sclerosis (MS). Several studies are in progress on

treatment of chronic hepatitis B infection by immunization with multiple

antigenic components, combination of vaccine with antiviral drugs and

cytokines, T cell vaccines, DNA vaccines alone or with DNA encoded

immunomodulatory cytokines, and direct genetic manipulation of antigen

presenting cells. J. Med. Virol. 78:169-177, 2006. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

PMID: 16372285 [PubMed - in process

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