Brief Reports
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2004. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Jan 15, 2004; 10(2): 306-308
Published online Jan 15, 2004. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v10.i2.306
Can HB vaccine yield a booster effect on individuals with positive serum anti-HBs and anti-HBc markers ?
Ru-Xiang Wang, Ying Guo, Chang-Hong Yang, Yu Song, Juan Chen, Fu-Sheng Pang, Shao-Ping Lei, Xiao-Ming Jia, Jin-Ying Wen, Christina Y. Shi
Ru-Xiang Wang, Ying Guo, Yu Song, Juan Chen, Shenyang Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenyang 110031, Liaoning Province, China
Chang-Hong Yang, Dongling District Anti-epidemic Station, Dongling District, Shenyang 110015, Liaoning Province, China
Fu-Sheng Pang, Shao-Ping Lei, Liaoning Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenyang, 110003, Liaoning Province, China
Xiao-Ming Jia, No.2 Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110004, Liaoning Province, China
Jin-Ying Wen, Shenyang 606 Hospital, Shenyang110015, Liaoning Province, China
Christina Y. Shi, Vita-Tech Canada, 1345 Denison Street, Markham, Ontario, Canada L3R 5V2
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Correspondence to: Dr. Ru-Xiang Wang, Shenyang Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 37 Qishanzhong Road, Huanggu District, Shenyang 110031, China. rxwtxh@pub.sy.ln.cn
Telephone: +86-24-86853243 Fax: +86-24-86863778
Received: April 12, 2003
Revised: October 4, 2003
Accepted: October 11, 2003
Published online: January 15, 2004
Abstract

AIM: To evaluate if HB vaccination can yield a booster effect on the anti-HBs level of those naturally acquired HBV positive markers.

METHODS: Sera were collected from 1399 newly enrolled university students aged between 18-20 years at the entrance medical examination in 2001. Forty-four students (28 males and 16 females) with positive serum anti-HBs and anti-HBc markers served as an observation group and another 44 students (24 males and 20 females) without any HBV markers as the control. HB vaccination was given to all the students without positive serum HBsAg according to 0, 1, 6 month regimen and the peripheral venous blood was sampled from those of both observation and control groups for anti-HBs detection one month after the second and third doses. Anti-HBs levels were measured by ELISA.

RESULTS: The seroconversion rate of anti-HBs in the control group was 100% after the second dose, but the geometric mean titers (GMTs) were low. The tendency of serum anti-HBs changes after the 3rd dose was completely different between the two groups. Although more than half of those with positive anti-HBs and anti-HBc showed a mild increase of anti-HBs levels after the 2nd boosting dose (mean anti-HBs level was 320:198 mIU), but the increase of serum anti-HBs titer was much smaller than that in the control group. The averages of their initial serum anti-HBs levels and the levels after the 2nd and 3rd doses were 198, 320 and 275 mIU respectively. All the subjects from the control group had an obvious increase in their serum anti-HBs levels which was nearly 4 times the baseline level (302:78 mIU).

CONCLUSION: HB vaccination can not enhance anti-HBs levels in those with positive serum anti-HBs and anti-HBc markers.

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