Evaluation of Protective Antibody Titer Against HBs Antigen in Students of Gonabad University of Medical Sciences in 2018

Aims: Hepatitis B infection is one of the common diseases and the most prevalent communicable virus transferred by blood to the healthcare personnel. Active immunity, through vaccination, is the most effective way to prevent hepatitis B infection. The current study aimed to determine the protective antibody titer against HBs antigen in Gonabad University of Medical Sciences students, Gonabad City, Iran, 2018. Methods & Materials: The present cross-sectional study was conducted on 416 students of Gonabad University of Medical Sciences. The HBsAb level was determined in blood samples by an Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) kit made in Iran. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics like frequency distribution tables and inferential statistics as independent 2-sample t-test and Chi-square test to determine the relationship between variables. The significance level was considered P<0.05. Findings: HBsAb level of 217 cases (51.8%) was below 10 IU/mL, 96 (61.3%) had an HBsAb level between 10 and 100 IU/mL, and in 106 (36.5%) cases, HBsAb level was above 100 IU/mL. There was no statistically significant difference between the means of HBsAb in terms of gender, age, and body mass index (P<0.05). Conclusion: In general, more than 50% of the study participants had mild immunity against hepatitis B viruses. Therefore, in these people, it is recommended to check the antibody titer periodically to ensure immunity against hepatitis B.