Immune response of intradermal hepatitis B vaccination at lower dose versus intramuscular vaccination at double standard dose in predialytic chronic renal failure patients.

ABSTRACT

The immune responses to hepatitis B vaccine were studied in 2 groups of predialytic chronic renal failure patients who had negative results of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), hepatitis B surface antibody (anti-HBs) and hepatitis B core antibody (anti HBc). In the intradermal group, vaccine at the dose of 0.1 ml, 2 microg, was intradermally administered at 5 positions. In the intramuscular group, the vaccine at the dose of 1.0 ml, 20 microg, was intramuscularly given at 2 positions and, thus, was a double standard dose. Both groups received 4 vaccinations at month 0, 1, 2, and 6 (M0, M1, M2, and M6). The results showed that there were no significant differences in the results of seroconversion rates, defined as having anti HBs levels above 10 mIU/ml, between the intradermal (ID) and intramuscular (IM) groups at M1, M2, M6, and M7. In patients with positive seroconversion results at M7, the numbers of patients in the good and excellent subgroups, having HBs Ab levels ranged 10-999 and above 1,000 mIU/ml respectively, showed no difference between both routes. The body weight and seroconversion rates at M2 and M6 were the factors which had a positive influence on the seroconversion rates of intradermal hepatitis B vaccination. In conclusion, intradermal hepatitis B vaccination at a lower dose could provide comparable satisfactory immune response with the intramuscular route at double the standard dose.