Adolescent ; Child ; Female ; Hepatitis B Antibodies ; blood ; Hepatitis B Vaccines ; immunology ; Humans ; Male ; Thymosin ; therapeutic use ; Vaccination ; Vaccines, Synthetic ; immunology

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection has been a major global cause of morbidity and mortality. The recognition of the problem led to a worldwide effort to reduce transmission of HBV through routine infant vaccination. HBV infection is the most common cause of chronic liver diseases and hepatocellular carcinoma in Korea. After hepatitis B vaccine era, seroprevalence of hepatits B surface antigen is decreasing, particularly in children. Hepatitis B vaccine is remarkably safe and shows high immunogenicity. Universal childhood immunization with three doses of hepatitis B vaccine in the first year of life is a highly effective method for prevention and control of hepatitis B.
Hepatitis B/*epidemiology/immunology/*prevention & control ; Hepatitis B Antibodies/blood/immunology ; Hepatitis B Vaccines/immunology/therapeutic use ; Hepatitis B virus/genetics/immunology ; Humans ; Vaccination

Antiviral Agents ; therapeutic use ; China ; Hepatitis B ; drug therapy ; epidemiology ; immunology ; prevention & control ; therapy ; Hepatitis B Vaccines ; immunology ; Humans

<b>BACKGROUNDb>To investigate the immunological and virological efficacy of the therapeutic vaccine HBV CS1, a recombinant fusion protein which is composed of HBV core aa 1-155 plus PreS1 aa 3-55,against chronic HBV infection.

<b>METHODSb>HBV transgenic mice were immunized with HBV CS1(5 ug) emulsified in equal volume of complete Freund adjuvant on day 0, followed by a second vaccination with HBV CS1(5 ug) emulsified with incomplete Freund adjuvant on days 21. Mice of control group were mock-vaccinated with PBS plus complete Freund adjuvant/incomplete Freund adjuvant. The splenocytes of individual mouse were subjected to T cell proliferation assays by using 3Hg thymidine, HBsAg and HBV DNA in sera of mice were detected by ELISA and quantitative PCR, respectively.

<b>RESULTSb>HBV CS1 specific T cell response were induced in mice immunized with HBV CS1, with the titer of HBsAg and the level of HBV DNA decreased significantly after twice immunization with HBV CS1, while the control group almost remained the same.

<b>CONCLUSIONb>HBV CS1 has the immunological and virological efficacy against chronic HBV infection in HBV transgenic mice; HBV CS1 could represent candidate vaccine for further studies on its role as therapeutic vaccine against HBV chronic infection in human.

Animals ; Female ; Hepatitis B Antibodies ; blood ; Hepatitis B Core Antigens ; genetics ; immunology ; therapeutic use ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; genetics ; immunology ; therapeutic use ; Hepatitis B Vaccines ; genetics ; immunology ; therapeutic use ; Hepatitis B virus ; genetics ; immunology ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; drug therapy ; immunology ; Humans ; Immunization ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Transgenic ; Protein Precursors ; genetics ; immunology ; therapeutic use ; Random Allocation ; Recombinant Fusion Proteins ; genetics ; immunology ; therapeutic use

<b>OBJECTIVEb>The objective of this study was to observe the interventional effect of cod liver oil supplementation on re-vaccination to hepatitis B virus (HBV) among infants and young children.

<b>METHODSb>All 7-36 months old infants and young children, who had been vaccinated with obligatory HBV vaccines routinely by the national technical and administrative procedures for HBV vaccination on children of China, were convened among villages in Linyi, Shandong province, from October 2008 to March 2009. After detection of serum anti-HBV, one hundred children with lower serum anti-HBV were picked out for the randomized, double blinded, placebo controlled vitamin A supplementation study. The children in the intervention group (50 subjects) took 0.5 g condensed cod liver oil (containing 25 000 IU vitamin A and 2500 IU vitamin D(2)) every 15 days for six times. The children in the control group (50 subjects) were given corn oil with same volume. All children were re-vaccinated at the 30th and the 60th day of the experiment. The serum samples were collected from each child at the 90th day of the experiment. Retinol concentration in serum samples was analyzed with HPLC method before and after the intervention. The levels of serum anti-HBs were detected by the electro-chemi-luminescence immunoassay (ECLIA).

<b>RESULTSb>Total 74 children finished the supplemental experiment and blood collection, 37 subjects in each group, respectively. After intervention, the serum retinol level in the experimental and control group were (404.1 ± 123.1) and (240.8 ± 92.8) µg/L (t = 6.441, P < 0.01), respectively. The serum anti-HBs levels in the experimental and control group were (2737.2 ± 2492.6) and (1199.7 ± 2141.6) U/L (t = 2.846, P < 0.01), respectively. The rate of weak or no-answer case in experimental and control groups was 0.00% (0/37) and 10.81% (4/37) (χ(2) = 4.229, P = 0.040), respectively.

<b>CONCLUSIONb>The results showed that vitamin A supplementation might enhance the re-vaccination reaction against HB vaccine in infants and young children.

Child, Preschool ; Cod Liver Oil ; therapeutic use ; Dietary Supplements ; Double-Blind Method ; Hepatitis B ; prevention & control ; Hepatitis B Antibodies ; blood ; immunology ; Hepatitis B Vaccines ; immunology ; Hepatitis B virus ; immunology ; Humans ; Immunity, Active ; Infant ; Vitamin A ; therapeutic use ; Vitamins ; therapeutic use

Global Health ; Hepatitis B ; prevention & control ; Hepatitis B Vaccines ; immunology ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Immunization Programs ; Vaccination ; World Health Organization

Child ; Hepatitis B ; immunology ; prevention & control ; Hepatitis B Vaccines ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Patient Acceptance of Health Care ; Vaccination

<b>OBJECTIVESb>To evaluate if the humoral immune response of hepatitis B DNA vaccine pVAX1-S2S could be enhanced by Talpha1 and/or IFNa expression plasmid co-inoculated.

<b>METHODSb>The following mammalian expression recombinant plasmids were constructed: the plasmid pVAX1-S2S expressing hepatitis B surface antigen S2S, the plasmid pVAX1-T/I co-expressing thymosin a and IFNalpha, the plasmid pVAX1-I/S2S co-expressing IFNalpha and S2S. These plasmids were inoculated intramuscularly into several BALB/c mice groups in different combinations. In the co-immunization group 1 (pVAX1-I/S2S), each mouse was inoculated with 100 microg of pVAX1-I/S2S; in the co-immunization group 2 (pVAX1-S2S) each mouse was co-inoculated with pVAX1-S2S and 50 microg of pVAX1-TI; in the control group each mouse was inoculated with 100 microg of pVAX1-S2S. All the immunizations were boosted at 2 and 4 week intervals; then the serum samples were collected to detect the anti-HBs and anti-preS2 strengths.

<b>RESULTSb>3, 5 and 8 weeks after the first inoculation, the positive rates of anti-HBs were 12.5%, 12.5%, 62.5% respectively in the co-immunization group 1 and 25%, 50%, 50% in the co-immunization group 2, while those in the control group were 0, 25%, 37.5%. The titers of anti-preS2 in co-immunization group 2 was 5 times higher than those in the other two groups.

<b>CONCLUSIONb>The data shows that Talpha1 and/or IFNalpha expression plasmid co-inoculated with pVAX1-S2S might act as an adjuvant to enhance the humoral immune response induced by pVAX1-S2S.

Adjuvants, Immunologic ; genetics ; therapeutic use ; Animals ; Female ; Hepatitis B ; immunology ; therapy ; Hepatitis B Vaccines ; immunology ; therapeutic use ; Interferon-alpha ; genetics ; immunology ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Recombinant Fusion Proteins ; immunology ; Thymosin ; genetics ; immunology ; Vaccines, DNA ; immunology

<b>OBJECTIVESb>To study the active immunity response of liver transplant patients for HBV-related diseases after hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccine immunization and to investigate the factors that influence the effectiveness of the vaccination in order to find measures to increase its success.

<b>METHODSb>Thirteen patients who had liver transplants because of HBV-related end-stage liver diseases received hepatitis B virus immunoglobulin and lamivudine for an average of 38 months (range 27-77 months). They received double intramuscular doses (40 microg) of a recombinant vaccine at months 0, 1, 2 and 6. The anti-HBs titers were tested regularly at months 1, 2, 3, 6 and 7.

<b>RESULTSb>Seven of the 13 patients (53.8%) developed higher serum titers of anti-HBs compared with their titers prior to the vaccinations, 2 patients of the 13 (15.4%) developed an increase by 100 U/L and in 4 patients (30.8%) their base levels were doubled. Those responding patients were followed-up for another 8 months after the fourth vaccination, and only 1 patient among them had a decrease of the anti-HBs titers below the level prior to the vaccination.

<b>CONCLUSIONb>Hepatitis B vaccine immunization can be used to enhance the active immunity against HBV in patients who had liver transplants for HBV-related diseases.

Adult ; Female ; Hepatitis B ; immunology ; Hepatitis B Vaccines ; therapeutic use ; Hepatitis B virus ; Humans ; Immunity, Active ; Liver Diseases ; immunology ; virology ; Liver Transplantation ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Postoperative Period

<b>OBJECTIVEb>To evaluate the long-term protective effects of hepatitis B vaccine after immunizing to the children for 12 years in Beijing.

<b>METHODSb>The multiple stratified cluster sampling was used in this epidemiological survey. The sampling children's blood serum HBsAg, anti-HBs and anti-HBc were checked and measured by the solid phase radioimmunoassay (SPRIA). The serological level of these index and the causes of the children with HBsAg positive were analyzed.

<b>RESULTSb>There were 2,419 cases 3-12 years-old children immunized with the hepatitis B vaccine in infant period were surveyed and the total HBsAg positive rate was 0.52%. The vaccine protective rate was 88.45% (95% CI: 65.67%-97.89%). The total anti-HBc positive rate was 2.21%, being no statistical significance among the age groups. The average anti-HBs positive rate of 3-6 years-old children immunized with gene recombining vaccine was 38.79% and descending greatly following the age's dropping. The geometric means of anti-HBs serological titer (GMT) was 52.83 mIU/ml, showing no statistical significance among the age groups. The average anti-HBs positive rate of 6-12 years-old children immunized with the blood rooting vaccine was 50.79%. The geometric means of anti-HBs serological titer (GMT) was 61.51 mIU/ml. There were no statistical significances among the age groups. Among the HBsAg positive children, more than 50% of the children's mothers were HBsAg positive also.

<b>CONCLUSIONSb>The protective effects given by immunization were significant after the hepatitis B vaccine vaccination for 12 years in Beijing. The booster immunization was not necessary, because the HBsAg positive rate didn't ascend obviously as the immunization time prolonging. As the anti-HBs positive rate of children who were immunized by the gene recombining vaccine might be descending following the age's dropping greatly, we should strengthen the serological surveillance of hepatitis B. The main cause that the children became the HBsAg carrier should be a vertical transmission.

Child ; Child, Preschool ; China ; epidemiology ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hepatitis B ; epidemiology ; immunology ; prevention & control ; Hepatitis B Antibodies ; blood ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; blood ; Hepatitis B Vaccines ; immunology ; therapeutic use ; Hepatitis B virus ; immunology ; Humans ; Immunity, Active