Prevention of hepatitis B in hemodialysis patients using hepatitis B immunoglobulin. A controlled study.

In a controlled study, the protection effect of hepatitis B immune globulin (HBIG) was evaluated in patients hemodialyzed for less than one month in two collaborating units. Fifteen randomly selected patients received HBIG at five to eight week intervals throughout the study, and 13 other control patients received no immunoglobulin. During a follow-up period of 14 to 30 months, none of the HBIG-treated and 12 of the control patients developed evidence of exposure to virus B hepatitis, including 10 with HBs Ag antigenemia (p is less than 0.001): five of these remained persistently antigen positive. Evidence of non-B hepatitis was found in 8 HBIG-treated and in 3 non-treated patients. Only two HBIG-treated patients developed active antibodies against hepatitis B surface antigen. Thus, HBIG seems effective in preventing hepatitis B in hemodialysis patients, provided the interval between two injections is not greater than two months. However, prolonged administration of HBIG may impair passive-active immunization to hepatitis B virus.