Brief Reports
Copyright ©2005 Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Mar 28, 2005; 11(12): 1798-1801
Published online Mar 28, 2005. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v11.i12.1798
Four-year follow up of hepatitis C patients vaccinated against hepatitis B virus
Slawomir Chlabicz, Tadeusz Wojciech Lapinski, Anna Grzeszczuk, Danuta Prokopowicz
Slawomir Chlabicz, Department of Family Medicine and Community Nursing, Medical University of Bialystok, Mieszka I 4B, 15-054 Bialystok, Poland
Tadeusz Wojciech Lapinski, Anna Grzeszczuk, Danuta Prokopowicz, Department of Infectious Diseases, Medical University of Bialystok, Zurawia 14, 15-540 Bialystok, Poland
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Correspondence to: Slawomir Chlabicz, Mieszka I 4B 15-054 Bialystok, Poland. schlabicz@poczta.onet.pl
Telephone: +48-85-7326820 Fax: +48-85-7327848
Received: May 25, 2004
Revised: May 27, 2004
Accepted: June 25, 2004
Published online: March 28, 2005
Abstract

AIM: Patients with chronic hepatitis C have been recommended to receive vaccinations against hepatitis B. Our study aimed at evaluating the hepatitis B immunogenicity and efficacy against hepatitis B virus infection 4 years after primary immunization series in a group of patients with chronic hepatitis C.

METHODS: We recruited 36 out of 48 hepatitis C virus (HCV) infected individuals who were vaccinated against hepatitis B virus (20 μg of recombinant HBsAg at 0-1-6 mo schedule) in 1998. Here we measured anti-HBs titers and anti-HBc 4 years after delivery of the third dose of primary immunization series.

RESULTS: After 4 years a total of 13/36 (36%) HCV infected patients had seroprotective titers of anti-HBs compared with 9/10 (90%) in the control group, (P<0.05). Similarly the mean concentration of anti-HBs found in hepatitis C patients was significantly lower than that found in healthy subjects (18.3 and 156.0 mIU/mL respectively (P<0.05). None of the HCV infected patients or controls became infected with HBV during the study period as confirmed by anti-HBc negativity.

CONCLUSION: We demonstrated that 4 years after HBV immunizations’ more than 60% of vaccinated HCV patients did not maintain seroprotective levels of anti-HBs, which might put them at risk of clinically significant breakthrough infections. Further follow-up studies are required to clarify whether memory B and T lymphocytes can provide protection in chronic hepatitis C patients in the absence or inadequate titers of anti-HBs.

Keywords: Hepatitis B; Hepatitic C vaccine; Follw-up studies