Effectiveness of zero dose HBV vaccine on prevention of HBV breakthrough infection among vaccinated Egyptian children … Original Research Article … |
The Egyptian Journal of Immunology E-ISSN (2090-2506) Volume 31 (4), October 2024 Pages: 66–75. www.Ejimmunology.org https://doi.org/10.55133/eji.310407 |
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| Asmaa M. El-Nasser1,5, Amany M. Tawfeik1,5, Eman A. E. Abushady1, Eman A. Mohammad1, Marwa Elhady2, Abeer M. Abdul-Mohymen3, and Salah E. I. Ali4 |
| 1Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, Faculty of Medicine (for girls), Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt.
2Department of Pediatric, Faculty of Medicine (for girls), Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt. 3Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine (for girls), Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt. 4Department of Clinical pathology, Faculty of Medicine Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt. 5Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Badr University in Cairo (BUC), Cairo, Egypt. 6Pediatric Department, Faculty of Medicine, Prince Sattam ben Abdulaziz University, KSA. |
Corresponding author: Eman A. E. Abu shady, Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, Faculty of Medicine (for girls), Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt. Email: emanabdelfatah.micro@azhar.edu.egeman_abushady@yahoo.ie |
Abstract
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a vaccine preventable disease. Sufficient post vaccination response is critical step to achieve infection eradication. Vaccine hypo-responsiveness is a major risk factor for HBV chronic infection. We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of birth dose HBV vaccine in preventing perinatal HBV infection and to detect the rate of HBV surface antibody (HBs-Ab) seroconversion and its relation to interleukin-4 polymorphism (IL-4 PM) among a group of vaccinated Egyptian infants. This observational analytical study involved 77 infants aged 6 to 12 months who received 4 doses of HBV vaccine including a zero dose. We measured serum levels of HBV-DNA and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) as markers of infectivity, and the level of (HBsAb) to assess vaccine responsiveness. Cytokine gene analysis to detect IL-4 gene polymorphism and its association with vaccine un-responsiveness were investigated. We observed that none of the vaccinated infants acquired HBV infection. Of the included 77 infants, seroconversion against HBV was detected in 72 (93.5%), 28 (36.4%) had low response and 44 (57.1%) had high response. While 5 (6.5%) were non responders. There was significant association between IL-4 gene polymorphism and the poor seroconversion after HBV vaccination. (p=0.03). Furthermore, HBsAb titer was significantly lower in children who have IL-4 gene polymorphism (p=0.014). In conclusion, implementation of birth-dose HBV vaccination is effective for prevention of perinatal infection, but seroconversion rate may be insufficient to induce long term protection. IL-4 gene polymorphism is associated with poor response to HBV vaccine.
Keywords:
Hepatitis B, vaccination, birth dose, seroconversion, interleukin-4 polymorphism.
Date received: 25 April 2024; accepted: 08 August 2024
PMID:
39425623
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