Two booster dose hepatitis B virus vaccination in patients with leukemia

• Published in: Leukemia research Vol. 25; no. 8; pp. 647 - 649
• Main Authors: Yetgin, Sevgi, Tunç, Bahattin, Koç, Ahmet, Toksoy, Hayri B, Ceyhan, Mehmet, Kanra, Güler
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.08.2001; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Adolescent; Biological and medical sciences; Booster dose; Child; Child, Preschool; Female; Hematologic and hematopoietic diseases; Hepatitis B; Hepatitis B Antibodies - biosynthesis; Hepatitis B Antibodies - blood; Hepatitis B Antibodies - immunology; Hepatitis B vaccination; Hepatitis B Vaccines - administration & dosage; Hepatitis B Vaccines - immunology; Hepatitis B virus; Humans; Immunization, Secondary; Infant; Leukemia; Leukemias. Malignant lymphomas. Malignant reticulosis. Myelofibrosis; Male; Medical sciences; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma - immunology; Vaccines, Synthetic - administration & dosage; Vaccines, Synthetic - immunology; Leukemia; ALL, Acute lymphoblastic leukemia; Hepatitis B vaccination; HbsAg, Hepatitis B surface antigen; Booster dose; HBV, Hepatitis B virus; Anti-HBc, Antibody to hepatitis B core antigen; Anti-HBs, Antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen; Hepatitis B; Human; Immune response; Booster vaccination; Vaccination; Hepatic disease; Cumulated dose; Infection; Viral hepatitis B; Immunoprophylaxis; Viral disease; Digestive diseases; Dose; Child
• ISSN: 0145-2126; 1873-5835
• DOI: 10.1016/S0145-2126(00)00101-6

The aim of this study was to interpret the antibody response to hepatitis B (HB) vaccination following a two booster dose schedule in 94 acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients. All patients were between 1–16 years of age with negative hepatitis B virus (HBV) serology and normal hepatic function. Fifty patients were vaccinated with Engerix B vaccine, and 44 patients were vaccinated with GenHevac B vaccine, with a schedule of 0, 1, 6 and 0, 1, 2, as well as booster doses, in 12 and 6 months respectively. A second booster was given as a fifth dose to 16 unresponsive patients in each vaccine group, 3 and 6 months after the first booster for Engerix B and GenHevac B vaccines respectively. Dosage was 20 μg HbsAg for all patients. Seroconversion rates with protective level antibody were 35.1% ( n=33/94). The figures were 32.1% ( n=16/50) and 38.6% ( n=17/44) for Engerix B and GenHevac B vaccines, respectively. Seroconversion rate in patients younger than 10 years old was found to be higher (39.11%) than older patients (24%), but this was not statistically significant. This study indicates that one third of the leukemic children undergoing maintenence chemotherapy responded to HB vaccine with protective titers of anti-HBs. We recommend HB vaccination especially in developing countries.