Hepatitis B vaccination in HIV-infected youth: a randomized trial of three regimens

HIV-infected youth are at risk of hepatitis B infection and should be vaccinated. Previous reports suggest reduced response to standard hepatitis B vaccine regimens.

HIV-infected youth, aged 12 to younger than 25 years, were randomly assigned to one of three treatment arms: Arm 1: Engerix B, 20 microg HBsAg; Arm 2: Engerix B (GlaxoSmithKline, Rixensart, Belgium), 40 microg; and Arm 3: Twinrix (GlaxoSmithKline, Rixensart, Belgium), 20 microg HBsAg combined with 720 ELU hepatitis A antigen. Vaccines were administered at Weeks 0, 4, and 24.

Characteristics of evaluable patients (n = 336) at entry were similar in the study arms. At enrollment, median CD4+ T-cell count was 460 cells/mm3 (interquartile range, 305-668); 13% were less than 200 cells/mm3. Among Engerix B, 20-microg recipients, 60.4% responded to vaccine (HBsAb 10 IU/mL or greater at Week 28). Improved vaccine response was seen in recipients of Engerix B, 40 microg (73.2% versus Arm 1, P = 0.04) and Twinrix (75.4% versus Arm 1, P = 0.02). In multivariate analysis, only baseline CD4+ T-cell count and study arm were independent predictors of vaccine response.

In HIV-infected youth, a three-dose vaccination regimen with Engerix B, 40 microg, or Twinrix and higher baseline CD4+ T-cell counts were independently associated with improved vaccine response.