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Genetic effects have a dominant role on poor responses to infant vaccination to hepatitis B virus

Kai Yan1, Wenping Cai, Fang Cao

  • 1Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China.

Journal of Human Genetics
|March 15, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Genetic factors overwhelmingly influence hepatitis B vaccine response in infants. Environmental factors like parental smoking and low birth weight increase poor response risk, while higher Apgar scores and weight gain offer protection.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Immunology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccination is crucial for infant immunity.
  • Understanding factors influencing vaccine response is vital for public health strategies.
  • Previous research has explored various determinants of vaccine efficacy.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the relative contributions of genetic and environmental factors to poor response to hepatitis B vaccination in Chinese infants.
  • To identify specific perinatal environmental risk factors associated with inadequate antibody titers after HBV vaccination.

Main Methods:

  • A twin study design was employed, recruiting 1-year-old healthy twins.
  • Data on parental, neonatal, and infant growth factors were collected via interviews and medical records.
  • Heritability of anti-HBs (antibody to HBV surface antigen) concentrations was estimated using MX software.
  • Perinatal environmental factors' impact on poor vaccine response was analyzed using XTGEE models.

Main Results:

  • An additive genetic model explained 91% of the variance in anti-HBs response, with random environmental factors accounting for 9%.
  • Nineteen-point-nine percent of infants exhibited poor response to the HBV vaccine (anti-HBs < 100 mIU/mL).
  • Risk factors for poor response included a smoking father (OR=4.50) and low birth weight (OR=2.55); higher Apgar scores and greater weight gain reduced this risk.

Conclusions:

  • Genetic factors play a dominant role (91%) in determining infant response to hepatitis B vaccination.
  • Perinatal environmental factors, including parental smoking and birth weight, significantly modulate HBV vaccine response.
  • Optimizing perinatal conditions and addressing genetic predispositions may improve infant HBV vaccination effectiveness.

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