[Study on antibody response to revaccination of hepatitis B vaccine among firstly low-response adults]

To evaluate and compare the antibody to hepatitis B virus (HBV) surface antigen (anti-HBs) response and the influent factors of revaccination of 4 kinds of hepatitis B vaccine (HepB) among firstly low-response adults.

A total of 11 590 adults who were 18 - 49 years old, never received HepB vaccination, without HBV infection history, HBs-Ag negative, and had been living at 3 towns of Zhangqiu county in Shandong province Ji'nan city for more than half a year, were selected in the study in July, 2009. Self-designed questionnaire was used to select the basic information of the subjects. The subjects were divided into 4 groups by cluster sampling, and were vaccinated according to the "0-1-6" immune procedure with 10 µg HepB made by recombinant deoxyribonucleic acid techniques in Saccharomyces Cerevisiae (HepB-SC), 10 µg HepB made by recombinant deoxyribonucleic acid techniques in Hansenula Polymorpha (HepB-HP), 20 µg HepB-SC and 20 µg HepB made by recombinant deoxyribonucleic acid techniques in Chinese hamster ovary cell (HepB-CHO), 3 doses respectively. The adults who were low-response to the primary hepatitis B vaccination (10 mU/ml ≤ anti-HBs < 100 mU/ml) were divided into four groups by cluster sampling. These groups were revaccinated with one-dose of above-mentioned four kinds of HepB respectively. Blood samples were drawn from each person one month after the revaccination. Anti-HBs was detected by chemiluminescence microparticle immunoassay and compared by the vaccine type. The influence factors about antibody response were also analyzed.

Out of the 11 590 subjects, 8592 adults had accepted the primary vaccination of hepatitis B and been collected the blood samples; among whom, 1306 subjects showed low-response, at the rate of 15.20%. A total of 1034 low-response subjects accepted secondary strengthened vaccination and were collected blood samples; 55.13% of them showed anti-HBs seroconversion (anti-HBs ≥ 100 mU/ml); while the seroconversion rate in each group was 44.54% (106/238) in 10 µg HepB-SC group, 57.14% (156/273) in 10 µg HepB-HP group, 56.08% (143/255) in 20 µg HepB-SC group and 61.57% (165/268) in 20 µg HepB-CHO group, respectively. There was significant difference among the groups (χ² = 17.14, P < 0.01). The rates of anti-HBs seroconversion were significantly higher in 10 µg HepB-HP and 20 µg HepB-CHO groups than it in 10 µg HepB-SC group (χ² were 8.09 and 14.70 respectively, P < 0.01). The geometric mean concentration (GMC) of anti-HBs was 178.24 mU/ml among the low-responders after one dose of revaccination. The GMC was 109.77, 243.50, 144.98 and 242.83 mU/ml in 10 µg HepB-SC group, 10 µg HepB-HP group, 20 µg HepB-SC group and 20 µg HepB-CHO group, respectively. There was significant difference among groups (F = 9.52, P < 0.01).

Anti-HBs response could be strengthened effectively after one-dose of HepB revaccination among the low-response adults. Many factors like the vaccine types could effect the immune effects to HepB. A better response could be achieved if the 20 µg HepB-CHO or 10 µg HepB-HP was used for revaccination.