Viral Hepatitis Determination of immune memory to hepatitis B vaccination through early booster response in college students

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http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/123266536/abstractHepatologyEarly

View (Articles online in advance of print)Published Online: 28 Jan 2010 Viral

Hepatitis Determination of immune memory to hepatitis B vaccination through

early booster response in college studentsChyi-Feng Jan 1 2, Kuo-Chin Huang 1,

Yin-Chu Chien 3, E. Greydanus 2, H. Dele Davies 2, Tai-Yuan Chiu 1,

Li-Min Huang 4 *, Chien-Jen Chen 2 5, Ding-Shinn Chen 61Department of Family

Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, National Taiwan University,

Taiwan2Pediatrics and Human Development, College of Human Medicine, Michigan

State University, East Lansing, MI3Genomic Research Center, Academia Sinica,

Taiwan4Department of Pediatrics, National Taiwan University Hospital, National

Taiwan University, Taiwan5Graduate Institute of Epidemiology, College of Public

Health, National Taiwan University, Taiwan6Department of Internal Medicine and

Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital,

National Taiwan University, Taiwanemail: Li-Min Huang

(lmhuang@...)*Correspondence to Li-Min Huang, 7 Chung-Shan South Road,

Taipei 100, Taiwan; Department of Pediatrics, National Taiwan University

Hospital, National Taiwan University, Taipei, TaiwanPotential conflict of

interest: Nothing to report.fax: 886-2-23147450Funded by: Taiwan National

Science Council; Grant Number: NSC 96-2314-B-002-115AbstractThe long-term

protection of hepatitis B (HB) vaccination has been debated for years. The

purpose here was to evaluate the kinetic changes of antibody to HB surface

antigen (anti-HBs) and define immune memory of the HB vaccine among college

students who had previously received full neonatal immunization against HB. In

all, 127 college students aged 18-23 years born after July 1984 who had

completed HB vaccination and were seronegative for all three HB viral markers,

including HB surface antigen (HBsAg), antibody to HB core protein (anti-HBc),

and anti-HBs, were recruited. They received three doses of HB vaccine at

enrollment, 1 month and 6 months after enrollment. Their anti-HBs titers were

assayed at enrollment, 7-10 days, 1 month, 6 months, and 7 months following the

first dose of HB vaccine. The anti-HBs seroprotective rates for subjects 7-10

days, 1 month, 6 months, and 7 months postvaccination were 20.5%, 75.6%, 94.5%,

and 99.2%, respectively. Those who were seroprotective at 7 to 10 days after one

dose of HB vaccine booster developed significantly higher levels of anti-HBs at

1 and 6 months than those not developing seroprotective anti-HBs response at an

earlier timepoint. Conclusion: At least one-quarter of HB vaccinees have lost

their immune memory to the HB vaccine when entering college. Immune memory to HB

vaccine was identified by early seroconversion, which was present in only 20% of

vaccinees in the present study. To ensure higher than 90% anti-HBs

seroconversion rates, at least 2 doses of HB booster vaccines are recommended

for at-risk youths who received complete HB vaccinations in neonatal or infant

periods but are seronegative for HBsAg, anti-HBs, and anti-HBc in adolescence.

(Hepatology 2010;)Received: 28 August 2009; Accepted: 3 January 2010Digital

Object Identifier (DOI)10.1002/hep.23543