Immunogenicity and reactogenicity of a recombinant hepatitis B vaccine in subjects over age of forty years and response of a booster dose among nonresponders.

AIM

The study was initiated to evaluate the reactogenicity and immunogenicity of a recombinant hepatitis B vaccine in age group >40 years and to study the response of a single booster dose in primary non-responders to the hepatitis B vaccination.

METHODS

A total of 102 volunteers without markers of hepatitis B infection (negative for HBsAg, anti-HBc antibody, HBeAg and anti-HBs antibody) received 20 microg of recombinant HB vaccine intramuscularly at 0, 1, and 6 months. Anti HBs titers were evaluated by a quantitative Elisa kit at 90 and 210 days. A booster dose of 20 microg HB vaccine was given after 6 months of the 3(rd) vaccine dose to the 15 non-responders and anti-HBs titers were measured after 1 month.

RESULTS

Seroprotection (anti-HBs GMT(3) 10 IU/L) was achieved in 85.3 % (87/102) volunteers. The mean GMT titers of the vaccine responders was 136.1 IU/L. Of the seroprotected individuals, there were 32.4 % (33/102) hyporesponders (anti-HBs titers <10-99 mlU/ml) and 52.9 % (54/102) were responders (anti-HBs titers >100 IU/L). All the non-responders (15/15) responded to a single dose of the booster dose of recombinant HB vaccine and their mean anti-HBs antibody titers were more than 100.5 mIU/ml after the booster dose.

CONCLUSION

Recombinant hepatitis B vaccine offers good seroprotection in the age group >40 years and has a good safety profile. A single booster dose after 6 months in primary non-responders leads to good seroprotective anti-HBs antibody titers. However, larger population based studies are needed to evaluate the role of a booster dose in selected group of non-responders and whether such an approach will be cost effective.