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Active immunization of homosexual men using a recombinant hepatitis B vaccine
Author(s) -
Hess Georg,
Rossol Siegbert,
Voth Rita,
CheathamSpeth Darline,
Clemens Ralf,
Zum Büschenfelde KarlHermann Meyer
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
journal of medical virology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 121
eISSN - 1096-9071
pISSN - 0146-6615
DOI - 10.1002/jmv.1890290402
Subject(s) - virology , medicine , hbsag , vaccination , immunization , immunology , hepatitis b , viral disease , hepatitis b virus , hepatitis b vaccine , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , antibody , virus
Twenty homosexual men [13 anti‐human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)‐positive, seven anti‐HIV negative] without HBsAg, anti‐HBs, and anti‐HBc were vaccinated with three 20 μg doses of a recombinant hepatitis B vaccine. All anti‐HIV‐positive homosexuals were nonresponders independent of the initial number of CD4‐positive cells. Among seven anti‐HIV‐negative individuals, five responded. After three doses of the vaccine, CD4‐positive cells fell in anti‐HIV positive individuals by 22.4%. A similar fall in CD4‐positive cells of an average 24.9% was noted in 17 matching, but nonvaccinated, anti‐HIV‐positive homosexuals. The study indicates that the efficacy of vaccination in anti‐HIV‐positive individuals is questionable. There is, however, no evidence that vaccination against hepatitis B might be harmful to anti‐HIV‐positive subjects.