The optimal interval for post-vaccination serological test in infants born to mothers with positive hepatitis B surface antigen

• Published in: Human vaccines & immunotherapeutics Vol. 17; no. 12; pp. 5585 - 5589
• Main Authors: Huang, Hongyu, Zhang, Xuhui, Luo, Yuqian, Chen, Jie, Feng, Jing, Dai, Yimin, Hu, Yali, Zhou, Yi-Hua
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Taylor & Francis 02.12.2021; Taylor & Francis Group
• Subjects: anti-HBs; Female; HBsAg-positive mothers; Hepatitis B - prevention & control; Hepatitis B Antibodies; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; Hepatitis B vaccine; Hepatitis B Vaccines; Hepatitis B virus; Humans; Infant; infants; Mothers; non-response rate; Prospective Studies; PVST interval; Research Paper; Serologic Tests; Vaccination; anti-HBs; Hepatitis B vaccine; PVST interval; infants; HBsAg-positive mothers; non-response rate
• ISSN: 2164-5515; 2164-554X
• DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2021.1992213

Postvaccination serologic testing (PVST) is utilized to monitor the success or failure of vaccination against hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in infants of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) positive mothers. This secondary analysis of 1255 infants of HBsAg-positive mothers at 7-14 months age included in two prospective studies aimed to determine the optimal interval for PVST after three hepatitis B vaccine doses. HBsAg and anti-HBs were quantitatively tested with microparticle enzyme immunoassay. The average PVST interval was 3.8 ± 2.2 months. Overall, 1.7% (21/1255) infants had anti-HBs <10 mIU/mL. The non-response rates were 1.6%, 1.1%, 0.9%, 0.7%, 1.1%, 0.7%, and 5.7% when PVST was performed at an interval of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7-8 months after the third vaccine dose, respectively. Compared with 1 month of PVST interval, the non-response rate in infants who underwent PVST 7-8 months was significantly higher (χ 2  = 4.616, P = .032). Anti-HBs titers were significantly declined in infants with medium responses when PVST was performed with longer intervals (χ 2  = 27.592, P < .001), actually declined from interval of 6, and 7-8 months (Z = −3.177, P = .001 and Z = −3.715, P < .001), respectively. These results indicate that PVST may be performed at the age of 7-12 months for infants vaccinated on 0, 1, and 6-month schedule. To identify non-responders as early as possible, we suggest that PVST is performed at 7 months age or 1 month after the final vaccine dose.