The Immunoglobulin G Subclass Response to Hepatitis B Vaccine and the Antibody Response to Pneumococcal Polysaccharides in Dialysis Patients

• We examined the response to hepatitis B vaccination in dialysis patients, and evaluated our vaccination program to hepatitis B virus. No new cases of hepatitis B occurred during the study period, i.e. from 1980 and onwards. Sera were analyzed for anti-HBs in 25 dialysis patients vaccinated at least three times against hepatitis B and 53 health care staff vaccinated three times. The IgG subclass distribution of antibodies to hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBs) was determined in 11 dialysis patients and in 45 healthy controls. The antibody response to pneumococci was determined in 29 vaccinated patients.Results: Ten of 25 (40%) of the dialysis patients had anti-HBs when both tests after the third and/or fourth injections were considered. In four patients a fourth injection was cancelled due to transplantation or bad health, while such data were lacking in 8 cases. In staff 49/53 (93%) of the persons responded with anti-HBs production. In anti-HBs positive patients and controls a significant difference in the response of healthy adults was observed in anti-HBs IgG 1 (p<0.001) vs all other IgG subclasses. Dialysis patients had low levels, or negative findings, in all cases, with lgGI as the highest proportion found (3/11 patients). An antibody response to pneumococcal vaccination was registred in 25 out of 29 dialysis patients (in all 86 %).Dialysis patients respond poorly to hepatitis B vaccine. An anti-HBs subclass response mainly restricted to IgG I was observed in healthy adults, while dialysis patients had low or negative test results affecting all subclasses.The findings suggest a general deficit in the ability to produce anti-HBs rather than a deficit in the production of a specific subclass of this antibody. Moreover, RBV-vaccination schedules in renal transplant recipients should be started early, as some patients otherwise, due to transplantation or bad health, may not receive a fourth injection.The antibody response to pneumococcal vaccination indicates that the antigen involved is important in vaccination responses in dialysis patients.

Nyckelord

Antibodies

dialysis

hepatitis B virus

Immunoglobulin G

pneumococci

vaccination.

MEDICINE

MEDICIN

Publikations- och innehållstyp

vet (ämneskategori)

ovr (ämneskategori)