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The hepatitis B vaccine protects re-exposed health care workers, but does not provide sterilizing immunity.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND & AIMS:Infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) can be prevented by vaccination with HB surface (HBs) antigen, which induces HBs-specific antibodies and T cells. However, the duration of vaccine-induced protective immunity is poorly defined for health care workers who were vaccinated as adults. METHODS:We investigated the immune mechanisms (antibody and T-cell responses) of long-term protection by the HBV vaccine in 90 health care workers with or without occupational exposure to HBV, 10-28 years after vaccination. RESULTS:Fifty-nine of 90 health care workers (65%) had levels of antibodies to HBs antigen above the cut-off (>12 mIU/mL) and 30 of 90 (33%) had HBs-specific T cells that produced interferon-gamma. Titers of antibodies to HBs antigen correlated with numbers of HBs-specific interferon-gamma-producing T cells, but not with time after vaccination. Although occupational exposure to HBV after vaccination did not induce antibodies to the HBV core protein (HBcore), the standard biomarker for HBV infection, CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells against HBcore and polymerase antigens were detected. Similar numbers of HBcore- and polymerase-specific CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells were detected in health care workers with occupational exposure to HBV and in patients who acquired immunity via HBV infection. Most of the HBcore- and polymerase-specific T cells were CD45RO(+)CCR7(-)CD127(-) effector memory cells in exposed health care workers and in patients with acquired immunity. In contrast, most of the vaccine-induced HBs-specific T cells were CD45RO(-)CCR7(-)CD127(-) terminally differentiated cells. CONCLUSIONS:HBs antigen vaccine-induced immunity protects against future infection but does not provide sterilizing immunity, as evidenced by HBcore- and polymerase-specific CD8(+) T cells in vaccinated health care workers with occupational exposure to HBV. The presence of HBcore- and HBV polymerase-specific T-cell responses is a more sensitive indicator of HBV exposure than detection of HBcore-specific antibodies.

SUBMITTER: Werner JM

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3884684 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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The hepatitis B vaccine protects re-exposed health care workers, but does not provide sterilizing immunity.

Werner Jens M JM Abdalla Adil A Gara Naveen N Ghany Marc G MG Rehermann Barbara B

Gastroenterology 20130731 5

<h4>Background & aims</h4>Infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) can be prevented by vaccination with HB surface (HBs) antigen, which induces HBs-specific antibodies and T cells. However, the duration of vaccine-induced protective immunity is poorly defined for health care workers who were vaccinated as adults.<h4>Methods</h4>We investigated the immune mechanisms (antibody and T-cell responses) of long-term protection by the HBV vaccine in 90 health care workers with or without occupational expo ...[more]

PMID: 23916846

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Project description:Health care workers (HCWs) are frequently exposed to hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. The efficacy and safety of immunization with the hepatitis B (HB) vaccine are well recognized, but the durability of immunity and need for booster doses in those with secondary vaccine response failure remains controversial.This was a retrospective cohort study performed at Osaka University Hospital, Japan. We examined antibodies against HB surface antigen (anti-HBs) titers annually after immunization for previously non-immunized HCWs. Primary responders were categorized by their sero-positive durations as short responders (those whose anti-HBs titers declined to negative range within 3 years), and long responders (those who retained positive anti-HBs levels for 3 years and more). We re-immunized short responders with either single or 3-dose boosters, the long responders with a single booster when their titers dropped below protective levels, and examined their sero-protection rates over time thereafter.From 2001 to 2012, data of 264 HCWs with a median age of 25.3 were collected. The rate of anti-HBs positivity after primary vaccination were 93.0% after three doses (n = 229), 54.5% after two doses (n = 11), and 4.2% after a single dose (n = 24). Of 213 primary responders, the anti-HBs levels of 95 participants (44.6%) fell below the protective levels, including 46 short responders and 49 long responders. HCWs with higher initial anti-HBs titers after primary vaccination had significantly longer durations of sero-positivity. For short responders, 3-dose booster vaccination induced a longer duration of anti-HBs positivity compared to a single-dose booster, whereas for long responders, a single-dose booster alone could induce prolonged anti-HBs positivity.Our preliminary data suggested that it may be useful to differentiate HB vaccine responders based on their primary response durations to maintain protective levels of anti-HBs efficiently. A randomized, prospective, large-scale study is warranted to support our findings.

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The hepatitis B vaccine protects re-exposed health care workers, but does not provide sterilizing immunity.

Publications

The hepatitis B vaccine protects re-exposed health care workers, but does not provide sterilizing immunity.

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