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Updated: May 22, 2026

An Optimized Hemagglutination Inhibition (HI) Assay to Quantify Influenza-specific Antibody Titers
Published on: December 1, 2017
[Multi-center matching study on antibody response between preterm and full-term infants after primary immunization of
Li Zhang1, Xiang-jun Zhai, Yan-ping Li
1Shandong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Ji'nan, China.
Insights
Preterm and full-term infants show similar antibody responses to the hepatitis B vaccine (HepB) primary immunization. These findings suggest preterm newborns can follow the same HepB vaccination schedule as their full-term peers.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Pediatrics
- Vaccinology
Background:
- Hepatitis B remains a significant global health concern.
- Effective hepatitis B vaccination strategies are crucial for preventing infection.
- Understanding vaccine response in vulnerable infant populations is essential.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the antibody response to hepatitis B vaccine (HepB) primary immunization in preterm versus full-term infants.
- To determine if prematurity influences the immunogenicity of the HepB vaccine.
- To inform HepB vaccination strategies for preterm infants.
Main Methods:
- A comparative study involving 648 pairs of infants (preterm and matched full-term) aged 7-12 months in China.
- Infants received either HepB-SC or HepB-HP vaccine on a 0-1-6 month schedule.
- Anti-HBs antibody levels were measured using chemiluminescence microparticle immuno-assay (CMIA).
Main Results:
- No significant differences were observed in non-response, low-response, normal-response, or high-response rates between preterm and full-term infants.
- Geometric mean concentrations (GMC) of anti-HBs were comparable between the two groups (755.14 mIU/ml in preterm vs. 799.47 mIU/ml in full-term).
- Multivariable analysis confirmed that preterm birth was not an influencing factor on antibody response post-HepB primary immunization.
Conclusions:
- Antibody responses to HepB primary immunization are similar in preterm and full-term infants.
- Preterm newborns can be safely immunized using the same HepB vaccination strategy as full-term infants.
- This supports the current universal HepB immunization guidelines for all infants, regardless of gestational age.
Objective:
To compare the antibody response between preterm and full-term infants after primary immunization of hepatitis B vaccine (HepB).
Methods:
Infants who were aged 7 - 12 months and had completed primary immunization with 5 µg HepB made by recombinant deoxyribonucleic acid techniques in saccharomyces cerevisiae (HepB-SC) or 10 µg HepB made by recombinant deoxyribonucleic acid techniques in Hansenula polymorpha (HepB-HP) on 0-1-6 schedule were investigated in four provinces (municipality) including Beijing, Shandong, Jiangsu and Guangxi of China. Among them, all preterm infants were selected to form the preterm group and the 1:1 matching full-term infants with the same month-age, gender and residence were randomly selected to form the full-term group. Their HepB history was determined by immunization certificate and all of their parents were interviewed with standard questionnaire to get their birth information. Blood samples were obtained from all anticipants and were tested for Anti-HBs by chemiluminescence microparticle immuno-assay (CMIA).
Results:
Total anticipants were 648 pairs of infants. The rates of non-response, low-response, normal-response and high-response after the primary immunization were 1.39%, 8.64%, 45.83% and 44.14% in the preterm group, respectively. The corresponding rates were 1.08%, 9.26%, 44.91% and 44.75% in the full-term group. The above four rates did not show significant differences between the two groups (P > 0.05). The geometric mean concentrations (GMC) of anti-HBs in the pre-term and full-term group were 755.14 and 799.47 mIU/ml respectively. There was no significantly difference in the GMCs between the two groups (P > 0.05). Results from multivariable conditional logistic analysis showed that preterm was not an influencing factor to the antibody response after HepB primary immunization among newborns even after debugging the other influencing factors.
Conclusion:
The antibody response after HepB primary immunization were similar among the preterm and full-term infants. The preterm newborns could be immunized under the same HepB immunization strategy.
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