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Recombinant γ‐interferon as adjuvant to hepatitis B vaccine in hemodialysis patients
Author(s) -
Quiroga Juan Antonio,
Castillo Inmaculada,
Porres Juan Carlos,
Casado Santos,
Sáez Federico,
Martínez María Gracia,
Gómez Mariano,
Inglada Luis,
SánchezSicilia Luis,
Mora Adela,
Galiana Fernando,
Barril Guillermina,
Carreño Vicente
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
hepatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.488
H-Index - 361
eISSN - 1527-3350
pISSN - 0270-9139
DOI - 10.1002/hep.1840120407
Subject(s) - medicine , hbsag , hepatitis b vaccine , adjuvant , hemodialysis , vaccination , virology , immunology , hepatitis b , interferon , antibody , hepatitis b virus , antibody titer , titer , hepatitis c virus , hepatitis , gastroenterology , virus
Patients undergoing long‐term hemodialysis are at high risk of acquiring hepatitis B yet tend to have poor rates of response to hepatitis B vaccine. The effect of recombinant human γ‐interferon (2 million units/m 2 ) on the response to a recombinant hepatitis B vaccine was evaluated in a prospective, randomized controlled trial in 81 hemodialysis patients. A similar proportion of both groups of vaccinees ultimately developed antibody to HBsAg including 81% of the 41 recipients of vaccine alone (group I) and 89% of the 40 recipients of vaccine with γ‐interferon (group II). However, the antibody to HBsAg response occurred earlier in recipients of vaccine with γ‐interferon, so that at 4 mo 63% of group I and 88% of group II had antibody to HBsAg (p < 0.025). Furthermore, titers of antibody to HBsAg tended to be higher in the vaccinees given interferon; the final geometric mean titers were 232 IU/L in group I and 330 IU/L in group II (p = not significant). Retrospective testing for antibody to hepatitis C virus revealed that 21 (26%) hemodialysis patients were seropositive at entry into this trial, but the presence of antibody to hepatitis C virus did not appear to affect the response rate to the hepatitis B vaccine. These results suggest that the effects of γ‐interferon as an adjuvant in increasing the response rate to hepatitis B vaccination deserve further evaluation perhaps most appropriately in persons who have not responded to an initial course of vaccine. (HEPATOLOGY 1990;12:661–663).