Antibody responses after hepatitis B vaccination among maintenance haemodialysis patients.

In haemodialysis patients, hepatitis B virus infection has higher mortality and is more likely to result in the carrier state. Although Hepatitis B vaccine is effective in producing protection against HBV infection, the antibody response may be variable. In this study, seroprotection rate of hepatitis B vaccine in maintenance haemodialysis patients was studied after primary vaccination and after completion of the full vaccine regime. 50 unvaccinated patients on maintenance haemodialysis were included in this study. Patients negative for HBsAg, Anti-HBc (total) and Anti-HCV were vaccinated with 40 microg of Engerix B following a schedule of 0, 1, and 2 months. The antibody titer was tested at 3rd month and if the titer was < 10 or between 10-100 mIU/ml, they were given another 4th dose of vaccine at 6th month, and their antibody titer was tested again at 7th month. In maintenance haemodialysis patients, the response rate to HBV vaccine was 44% after the primary vaccination and 80% after completion of the full vaccine regime.