Cellular and humoral immune response to a third generation hepatitis B vaccine

• Published in: Journal of viral hepatitis 2007-08, Vol.14 (8), p.592-598
• Main Authors: Schumann, A., Fiedler, M., Dahmen, U., Grosse-Wilde, H., Roggendorf, M., Lindemann, M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cell Proliferation; cellular and humoral immune response; Female; Hepatitis B Antibodies - blood; Hepatitis B Vaccines - immunology; Hepatitis B virus; Hepatitis B virus - immunology; Hepatitis B, Chronic - immunology; Humans; Immunization - methods; Interferon-gamma - blood; Interferon-gamma - immunology; Male; mammalian cell-derived; proteins containing third generation vaccine; T-Lymphocytes - immunology; T-Lymphocytes - virology
• ISSN: 1352-0504; 1365-2893
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2893.2007.00848.x

Liver transplantation is often the ultimate option of therapy for chronically hepatitis B virus (HBV) infected patients. Adoptive transfer of HBV immunity with the liver after vaccination of living liver donors (LLD) could be a new approach to prevent reinfection in the recipients. The time to achieve HBV immunity in LLD is usually short (1–2 months). Therefore, we established a short time immunization protocol (four injections in 2 weeks intervals) using Hepimmune, a recombinant vaccine that contains the L, M and S proteins of HBV. We examined cellular and humoral immune responses after immunization with Hepimmune and compared its immunogenicity to that of a standard HBV vaccine containing only the S protein (HBVAXPRO®). Cellular immunity was measured by interferon (IFN)‐γ ELISpot and proliferation assay. HBV‐specific T cells were detectable in the Hepimmune group after the second and in the standard group after the third vaccination. IFN‐γ production of T cells was significantly higher (P