Alterations in the immune response of nonresponders to the hepatitis B vaccine

The phenotypic characteristics of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) from responders and nonresponders to hepatitis B (HB) vaccine and their response to pokeweed mitogen (PWM) stimulation in vitro were compared. The nonresponders had significantly higher absolute numbers and percentages of T11+, HNK-1+, and T8+ lymphocytes. Also, after PWM stimulation, PBLs from HB-vaccine nonresponders had impaired IgG and IgM production and failed to produce antibodies to HB surface antigen in vitro. These findings suggest that healthy individuals who fail to produce such antibodies have a higher population of suppressor lymphocytes that alters their normal immune response to HB vaccination.