Immunogenicity of the recombinant GenHevac B Pasteur vaccine against hepatitis B in chronic uremic patients

Immunogenicity of the recombinant GenHevac B vaccine (G), containing both the S and the preS2 antigen, was compared with that of the plasma-derived Hevac B (H) vaccine in 120 chronic uremic predialysis patients. Sixty received 20 micrograms/dose of G and 60 received 5 micrograms/dose of H at 0, 1, 2, 4, and 12 months. Two months after the fourth injection, seroconversion (antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen [HBs], > or = 2 mIU/mL) was seen in 85% of group G and 67% of group H patients (P < .02); seroprotection (anti-HBs, > or = 10 mIU/mL) was seen in 71% and 59%, respectively. The geometric mean titers (GMT) of anti-HBs in responders were 112 and 229 mIU/mL, respectively. After booster injection at month 12, seroconversion occurred in 94% and 76% and seroprotection in 84% and 70%, with anti-HBs GMTs of 879 and 1001 mIU/mL in groups G and H, respectively. The recombinant GenHevac B vaccine elicited seroconversion and seroprotection in a higher proportion of chronic uremic patients, with comparably high anti-HBs antibody titers in responders.