Immunogenicity of two accelerated hepatitis B vaccination protocols in liver transplant candidates

Objective It is common practice to immunize patients against hepatitis B virus infection prior to orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). We compared the seroprotection rates of two accelerated schedules with a recombinant hepatitis B vaccine in patients awaiting OLT. Design and methods Patients were prospectively recruited and vaccinated with either 20 mug (group 1, n = 14) or 40 mug (group 2, n = 20) hepatitis B surface antigen per dosage. Thirty-nine healthy volunteers served as a historical control group, Patients in all groups were vaccinated with an accelerated schedule (0, 7 and 21 days). All patients underwent clinical and laboratory examinations (HBs antibodies, CD4/CD8 ratio, transaminases). Results The accelerated hepatitis B vaccination schedules were well tolerated. Eight weeks after the third injection, no significant differences in seroprotection rates were observed between group 1 (31%) and group 2 (26%). There was no correlation with respect to seroconversion rates and gender, smoking habits or CD4/CD8 ratio. Conclusion These data suggest that accelerated vaccination schedules with a recombinant hepatitis B vaccine are safe and well-tolerated, but only achieve poor seroconversion rates in OLT candidates. Increasing the vaccine dose to 40 mug hepatitis B surface antigen per injection did not result in a higher response rate. Because of the low risk of acquiring de novo hepatitis B infection after transplantation, it should be questioned whether routine hepatitis B vaccination with standard recombinant vaccines prior to liver transplantation should be recommended any longer. Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol 13:363-367 (C) 2001 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.