Original Articles
Copyright ©The Author(s) 1998. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Dec 15, 1998; 4(6): 493-496
Published online Dec 15, 1998. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v4.i6.493
Persistence of hepatitis B vaccine immune protection and response to hepatitis B booster immunization
Hui Li, Rong-Cheng Li, Su-Su Liao, Jin-Ye Yang, Xian-Jia Zeng, Shu-Sheng Wang
Hui Li, Su-Su Liao, Xian-Jia Zeng, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, CAMS and PUMC, Beijing 100005, China
Rong-Cheng Li, Jin-Ye Yang, Shu-Sheng Wang, Guangxi Anti-Epidemic & Hygiene Center, Nanning 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China
Hui Li, M.D., M.P.H., male, born on 1943-06-20 in Jiangjin County, Sichuan Province, China, graduated from Beijing Medical University in 1970 and from Peking Union Medical College as a postgraduate in 1982, now professor of epidemiology, majoring hepatitis B control and etiology on cardiological vascular diseases, having 28 papers and 7 books published.
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Correspondence to: Prof. Hui Li, Director, Department of Epidemiology, institute of Basic Medical Sciences, CAMS & PUMC, 5 Dong Dan San Tiao, Beijing 100005, China
Telephone: +86-65-296971(O), +86-65-141591(H)
Received: November 9, 1998
Revised: November 20, 1998
Accepted: December 5, 1998
Published online: December 15, 1998
Abstract

AIM: To identify the persistence of immune protection of China-made, plasma-derived hepatitis B vaccine after infancy immunization and the time table of booster immunization.

METHODS: A cross-sectional follow-up study and an experimental study on booster were used for the evaluation of the serological effect 7 years after vaccination and the antibody anamnestic response. Radioimmunoassay was used for the detection of hepatitis B virus markers.

RESULTS: The protective anti-HBs positive rates of 1018 children, who were vaccinated according to the regimen of three doses of 10 μg hepatitis B vaccine in their infancy, declined from 75.0% during the first two years to 48.2% in the 7th year after the first dosage, however, the positive rates for HBsAg and anti-HBc always fluctuated at a low frequency. A total of 144 subjects aged 6 or 7 years, who were negative for both HBsAg and anti-HBc before booster, were selected from 1018 children of the follow-up study, and boosted with 1 μg intradermally or 2 μg hypodermically hepatitis B vaccines. Their anti-HBs GMT and anti-HBs positive rates were 190.6 mIU/mL and 89.6% in the first month after booster, significantly higher than 14.7 mIU/mL and 54.9% before booster (P < 0.01), and declined back to 25.3 mIU/mL and 75.5% in the 12th month; among 65 children with the anti-HBs negative before booster, 40 had a level of anti-HBS ≥ 100 mIU/mL one month after booster, suggesting retention of immune memory in most of them.

CONCLUSION: No need for revaccination against hepatitis B in the 7th year after the initial immunization due to better persistence of immune protection of the vaccine and retention of immune memory to hepatitis B virus in the vast majority of the vaccinees.

Keywords: hepatitis B vaccines; immune protection persistence; booster; immunization