Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor as a novel adjunct to improve hepatitis B vaccination

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.