The antibody response to hepatitis B virus vaccination is negatively influenced by the hepatitis C virus viral load in patients with chronic hepatitis C: a case-control study.

Abstract

The purpose of this work was to evaluate in a case-control study the immunogenicity of a recombinant hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccine in patients with chronic hepatitis C. Seventy-seven patients with histologically proven chronic hepatitis C without cirrhosis were included in a prospective trial and matched for sex and age to 231 healthy adult subjects. Recombinant HBV vaccine was administered at a dose of 20 microg at months 0, 1 and 2. The definition of 'responder to vaccination' was anti-HBs titre > 10 mIU/ml after the three injections. Forty-nine (63.6%) chronic hepatitis C patients were responders to vaccination, compared with 217 (93.9%) controls (P < 0.0001). After the three injections, anti-HBs titres were 156 +/- 260 and 615 +/- 435 mIU/ml (P < 0.0001), respectively. Chronic hepatitis C patients who were non-responders to vaccination had significantly higher viral load than responders to vaccination. Moreover, a negative correlation was observed between viral load and anti-HBs concentration (r = -0.36, P = 0.003). No significant side effects were observed. There was no effect of vaccination on alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels and hepatitis C virus (HCV) viral load during or after vaccination. In multivariate analysis, the main predictive factors of response to HBV vaccine were absence of anti-HCV antibodies (OR = 7.65, P < 0.0001), weight < 75 kg (OR = 1.99, P < 0.035), and age < 50 years (OR = 1.58, P < 0.082). Our results suggest that viral load seems to negatively influence the response to HBV vaccine.

• Authors: Vincent Leroy, Marc Bourliere, Magali Durand, Armand Abergel, Albert Tran, Maryline Baud, Danielle Botta-Fridlund, André Gerolami, Denis Ouzan, Philippe Halfon, Jean-Pierre Zarski
• Journal: European journal of gastroenterology & hepatology (Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol) Vol. 14 Issue 5 Pg. 485-9 (May 2002) ISSN: 0954-691X [Print] England
• PMID: 11984145 (Publication Type: Clinical Trial, Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Engerix-B
• Hepatitis B Antibodies
• Hepatitis B Vaccines
• Vaccines, Synthetic
• Alanine Transaminase

Topics

• Adult
• Alanine Transaminase (blood)
• Antibody Formation
• Biopsy
• Case-Control Studies
• Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
• Female
• Follow-Up Studies
• Hepacivirus (isolation & purification)
• Hepatitis B (prevention & control)
• Hepatitis B Antibodies (immunology)
• Hepatitis B Vaccines
• Hepatitis C, Chronic (immunology, virology)
• Humans
• Liver (pathology)
• Male
• Prospective Studies
• Vaccination
• Vaccines, Synthetic
• Viral Load