All issues > Volume 38(11); 1995

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1995;38(11):1525-1534. Published online November 15, 1995.

Immunogenicity of a Recombinant Hepatitis B Virus Vaccine Compared With a Plasma-derived Hepatitis B Vaccin~ and of Vaccination Schedules in Neonates

Ae Sil AS Kang¹, Jong Sin JS Kim¹, Jae Won JW Huh¹, Chang Youn CY Lee¹, Hyun Gi HG Jung¹, Jae Sun JS Park¹, Kwang Soo KS Hwang²

¹Department of Pediatrics, Kosin University College of Medicine, Pusan, Korea
²Department of Pediatrics, Moon Hwa Hospital, Pusan, Korea

Abstract

Purpose
: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccine was developed against HBV infection, and used widely in the world. The plasma-derived HBV vaccine was prepared from the plasma of chronic hepatitis B virus carrier. But, the plasma-derived HBV vaccine had many kinds of problems, such as the limitation of source, expensiveness, and the possibility of infection which spread through blood. To avoid these problems, the recombinant HBV vaccine was developed. We Performed this study to compare the antibody titers after vaccination of the plasma-derived HBV vaccine with that of the recombinant HBV vaccine in neonate.
Methods
: This study was performed on 2234 neonates born at Pusan Moon Hwa Hospital from November 1991 to December 1993. These 2234 neonates were injected intramuscularly hepatitis B virus vaccine and evaluated antibody titer within 3 months after completion of vaccination. We used heat inactivated plasma-derived HBV vaccine (H-vaccine), formalin inactivated plasma-derived HBV vaccine (F-vaccine), and recom¡ⓒ binant HBV vaccine (R-vaccine). The vaccination was done at 0,1, and 2 month of age (2 month schedule) or 0,1, and 6 month of age (6 month schedule). All tests used an enzyme immunoassay (IMx AUSAB, Abbott Laboratories). An anti¡ⓒ HBs level that would confer protection against HBV infection was defined as a level equal to or greater than lOmlu/ml.
Results
: 1) The seroconversion rate was 99.6% using R-vaccine with 6 month schedule, 91.3% using F-vaccine with 6 month schedule, and 78.1% using H-vaccine with 2 month schedule. There were statstical difference among H-vaccine, F-vaccine, and R-vaccine (p<0.01) 2) The seroconversion rate of 2 month schedule was 98.6% with R-vaccine, 85.1% with F-vaccine, 78.1% with H-vaccine. There were statistical difference among H¡ⓒ vaccine, F-vaccine, and R-vaccine (p<0.01) 3) The geometric mean titers of R-vaccine with 6 month schedule was highest among vaccination schedules (p<0.01) 4) The seroconversion rate of 6 month schedule was significantly higher than that of 2 month schedule (p<0.01)
Conclusion
: In this study, the immunogenicity of the recombinant HBV vaccine was better than that of the plasma-derived HBV vaccine, and the seroconversion rate of 6 month schedule was significantly higher than that of 2 month schedule. So, we thought that the recombinant HBV vaccine should replace the plasma-derived HBV vaccine.

Keywords :Plasma-derived HBV vaccine, Recombinant HBV vaccine