Objective To investigate the
efficacy of
hepatitis B vaccination in preventing
hepatitis B (HBV)
recurrence after
liver transplantation for
hepatitis B virus -related (HBV-related) recipients.
Methods 30 healthy recipients
who survived for more than 2 years after
liver transplantation received
vaccination using
hepatitis B surface antigen (
HBsAg )-containing
vaccine .There were a total of 5
injections at 0 month, 1 month, 2 months, 3 months and 6 months respectively, and each
dose was 40 μg.Thirty healthy
adults who received
hepatitis B vaccination during the same period were selected into the
control group .The antibody of
hepatitis B surface (Anti-HBs) titer was tested at 1 month, 2 months, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months and 12 months after the first
vaccination .Results 6.7% (2/30) of the
liver transplantation recipients had good response (defined as a rise of Anti-HBs titer of more than 100 IU/L at 12 months after the primary
vaccination ), and 16.7% of recipients (5/30) had partial response (Anti-HBs titer in 3
patients at less than 100 IU/L, Anti-HBs titer in 2
patients at more than 100 IU/L at first, then less than 100 IU/L after 12 months).For the 9
patients who received
liver transplantation for
acute liver failure , 2 had good response (22.2%) and another 2
patients (22.2%) had partial response.For the
liver transplant recipients
who survived for more than 5 years, 2 had good response (22.2%) and another
patient (11.1%) had partial response.In the healthy
control group , the good response rate was 73.3% (22/30), and the partial response rate was 10% (3/30).Conclusions Some HBV-related
liver transplant recipients could acquire Anti-HBs by
vaccination .Good response rate was lower in the HBV-related group of
liver transplant recipients than in the healthy
control group of people.Recipients for
liver transplantation carried out for
acute liver failure and recipients
who survived for more than 5 years had higher response rates to HBV
vaccination .HBV
vaccination can be a way to prevent HBV
recurrence in some
liver transplant recipients.