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| |  Persistent Immune Memory, Lasting Seroprotection Observed in Infants Immunised With a Monovalent HBV Vaccine: Presented at ESPID By Lynda Jackson BRUSSELS, Belgium -- June 14, 2009 -- Primary infant vaccination with monovalent hepatitis B (HB) vaccine in routine clinical practice induces lasting seroprotection and strong immune memory for at least 7 to 8 years, researchers stated here at the 26th Annual Meeting of the European Society for Paediatric Infectious Diseases (ESPID). Johann Disselhoff, MD, Medical Practice for Children and Adults, Offenburg, Germany, presented the study results here in a poster presentation on June 11. HB disease protection after immunisation is thought to be reliant upon both the persistence of protective serum antibodies and the ability of the immune system to mount an anamnestic response to a challenge with HB virus (HBV) according to Johann Benninghoff, MD, GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals, Rixensart, Belgium who discussed the results of the study with Dr. Disselhoff. The research group investigated the persistence of the immune memory against HB surface antigen (HBsAg) in children from Germany aged 7 to 8 years who were previously vaccinated in infancy. The children were previously primed with 3 doses of HBV vaccine during infancy in routine clinical practice. Each child received a single challenge-dose of paediatric HBV monovalent vaccine containing HBsAG 10 mcg/0.5 mL. HB antibodies were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in blood samples collected before and 1 month after vaccination. Seropositive was defined as an antibody concentration of 10 mIU/mL or more. Of 300 children vaccinated, 280 were tested for immunogenicity. Prior to challenge-dose with HBV vaccine, 83.5% of children had HB antibody concentrations of 10 mIU/mL or more and 37.4% had concentrations of 100 mIU/mL or more. One month post challenge-dose, the percentage of patients increased from 83.5% to 100% and from 37.4% to 98.2%, respectively. HB antibody geometric mean concentrations increased 200-fold from 56.2 to 13099.3 mIU/mL, and 99.6% of patients demonstrated an anamnestic response to the challenge dose of monovalent paediatric HBV vaccine. The HBV challenge vaccine was well tolerated. At least 1 symptom was reported by 55% of children over the 4-day follow-up period, and 1.3% of children suffered grade 3 adverse events. There was 1 serious adverse event that was unrelated. Dr. Benninghoff said the group’s data suggest that primary infant vaccination with a monovalent HBV vaccine results in persistent protection against HBV infection resulting in a strong immune memory and lasting seroprotection against HBV. [Presentation title: Immune Memory Against Hepatitis B Persists in 7-8 Year-Olds Primed With 3 Doses of HBV Vaccine in Routine Clinical Practice. Abstract P530]
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