A Single Center Analysis of the Positivity of Hepatitis B Antibody after Neonatal Vaccination Program in Korea

The antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBs) seropositivity rate after 3 doses of hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccination during infancy period is known to be higher than 90%. However, a considerable number of vaccines do not form protective anti-HBs or chronologic decrease of anti-HBs. We retrospectively collected data of HBV serologic test results in 20,738 individuals from 2000 to 2015. After exclusion criteria were applied, 19,072 individuals were included. We analyzed the anti-HBs seropositivity rate, anti-HBs disappearance rate, anti-HBs positive seroconversion rate after receiving a booster vaccine, and the difference in anti-HBs positivity between the 2 groups; group A (born before 2005, while both recombinant vaccines and plasma-derived vaccines were used) and group B (born after 2005, when only recombinant vaccines were used by national regulation). The anti-HBs seropositivity rate was 55.8%, but there was a significant difference in the rate of seropositivity for anti-HBs between the group A and B (53.0% vs. 78.1%, P < 0.001). There was no significant age-adjusted difference in the mean seropositivity rate between the 2 groups (P = 0.058). In addition, the anti-HBs positivity rate was significantly lower in the group A as compared with the group B during infancy (83.1% vs. 92.1%, P < 0.001). A total of 1,106 anti-HBs-positive subjects underwent serologic tests more than twice. Of these, 217 subjects (19.6%) showed anti-HBs disappearance. After booster vaccinations, 87.4% (83/95) achieved seroconversion from seronegative to seropositive. Our results highlight the importance of lifelong protection against HBV and the possible necessity of booster vaccination after adolescent period.

Positive seroconversion rate of hepatitis B antibody after hepatitis B vaccination by birth weight and gestational age / 대한주산의학회잡지

OBJECTIVE: Previous studies have reported that the immune response of hepatitis B vaccine is decreased in preterm or low birth weight babies compared to healthy term babies. To evaluate this notion, we investigated the positive seroconversion rate of hepatitis B antibody after hepatitis B vaccination according to gestational age and birth weight. METHODS: We retrospectively studied medical records about the positive seroconversion rate of a total of 968 infants who were given DNA recombinant hepatitis B vaccine as scheduled at Il Sin Christian Hospital, Busan from January 2002 to Mar 2007. RESULTS: The postive seroconversion failure rate (non-responder or poor-responder) of hepatitis B antibody by gestational age was 15.6% (28 weeks, 32 weeks, 1,000 g, 1,500 g, 2,000 g). CONCLUSION: The seropositive rate of hepatitis B antibody after hepatitis B vaccination decreased as the gestational age and the birth weight decreased. And gestational age more than 37 weeks and birth weight above 2,000 g were independently associated with a higher seropositive rate of hepatitis B antibody after hepatitis B vaccination.