[Immune response to hepatitis B vaccine in neonates born to mothers with various infection status of hepatitis B virus].

Hepatitis B (HB) vaccine induced high levels of antibodies against HB surface antigen (HBsAg) in 161 neonates. Seven months after the first vaccination, 100.0 percent of the neonates who received 20 micrograms vaccine or 97.3 percent of those who got 10 micrograms vaccine developed anti-HBs with GMT of 1:448.9 or 1:217.8, respectively. HBV infection status of mothers were closely related to immune responses to hepatitis B vaccine in their babies. The babies born to mothers who were only anti-HBs positive had the strongest immune response, and their seroconversion rate and GMT of anti-HBs were 100.0% and 1:670.4, respectively. The weakest response was observed in babies born to mothers who were HBsAg carriers (75.0%, 1:40.3), or only anti-HBc positive (100.0%, 1:28.5), especially those who were positive for HBsAg and HBeAg. The intermediate response was found in babies born to mothers who were negative for all the HBV markers (100.0%, 1:376.4), or positive for both anti-HBs and anti-HBc (100.0%, 1:218.2). It is postulated that some genetic factor and the existence of HBV in mothers may play important roles in immune response to HB vaccine in their babies.