Case Report
Copyright ©2010 Baishideng. All rights reserved.
World J Hepatol. Mar 27, 2010; 2(3): 136-138
Published online Mar 27, 2010. doi: 10.4254/wjh.v2.i3.136
Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor as a novel adjunct to improve hepatitis B vaccination
Sudeep Tanwar, Mark Thursz
Sudeep Tanwar, Mark Thursz, Department of Hepatology, Imperial College London, St Mary's Hospital, Praed Steet, London W2 1NY, United Kingdom
Author contributions: Tanwar S and Thursz M generated the ideas and contributed to the writing of this manuscript; Tanwar S performed the original literature search; Thursz M reviewed and verified the whole manuscript.
Supported by Imperial College London
Correspondence to: Dr. Sudeep Tanwar, MBBS, MRCP, Department of Hepatology, Imperial College London, St Mary's Hospital, Praed Steet, London W2 1NY, United Kingdom. sudeeptanwar@hotmail.com
Telephone: +44-20-7956121814 Fax: +44-20-7956121814
Received: September 9, 2009
Revised: January 18, 2010
Accepted: January 25, 2010
Published online: March 27, 2010
Abstract

Hepatitis B vaccination is successful in 95% of individuals. In the remainder, despite repeated attempts, immunization often remains unsuccessful. 'Non-response' leaves the individual susceptible to infection. Various strategies have been employed to overcome this. These include the use of adjuncts alongside conventional vaccines which activate immune responses. In this case report we demonstrate the successful use of the hematopoietic growth factor Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) as a vaccine adjunct in an individual who had previously failed conventional vaccination three times. The patient tolerated the regimen without any side effects and achieved a hepatitis B surface antibody titer greater than 100 IU/L. Use of G-CSF as a vaccine adjunct for hepatitis B has not previously been reported and the outcome in this case suggests that the use of G-CSF in this context warrants further exploration.

Keywords: Hepatitis B; Vaccination; Adjunct; Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor