A Longitudinal Hepatitis B Vaccine Cohort Demonstrates Long-lasting Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) Cellular Immunity Despite Loss of Antibody Against HBV Surface Antigen - Brenna C. Simons1,2,3,
- Philip R. Spradling4,
- Dana J. T. Bruden2,
- Carolyn Zanis2,
- Samantha Case2,
- Tammy L. Choromanski1,
- Minjun Apodaca5,
- Hazel D. Brogdon3,
- Gaelen Dwyer3,
- Mary Snowball1,
- Susan Negus1,
- Michael G. Bruce2,
- Chihiro Morishima5,
- Cindy Knall3 and
- Brian J. McMahon1,2
- 1Liver Disease and Hepatitis Program, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium
- 2Arctic Investigations Program, Division of Preparedness and Emerging Infections, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- 3WWAMI School of Medical Education, College of Health, University of Alaska Anchorage
- 4Division of Viral Hepatitis, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, CDC, Atlanta, Georgia
- 5Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle
- Correspondence: B. C. Simons, 3900 Ambassador Dr, Anchorage, AK 99508 (bcsimons{at}anthc.org).
Abstract Background. Long-lasting protection resulting from hepatitis B vaccine, despite loss of antibody against hepatitis B virus (HBV) surface antigen (anti-HBs), is undetermined. Methods. We recruited persons from a cohort vaccinated with plasma-derived hepatitis B vaccine in 1981 who have been followed periodically since. We performed serological testing for anti-HBs and microRNA-155 and assessed HBV-specific T-cell responses by enzyme-linked immunospot and cytometric bead array. Study subgroups were defined 32 years after vaccination as having an anti-HBs level of either ≥10 mIU/mL (group 1; n = 13) or <10 mIU/mL (group 2; n = 31). Results. All 44 participants, regardless of anti-HBs level, tested positive for tumor necrosis factor α, interleukin 10, or interleukin 6 production by HBV surface antigen–specific T cells. The frequency of natural killer T cells correlated with the level of anti-HBs (P = .008). The proportion of participants who demonstrated T-cell responses to HBV core antigen varied among the cytokines measured, suggesting some natural exposure to HBV in the study group. No participant had evidence of breakthrough HBV infection. Conclusions. Evidence of long-lasting cellular immunity, regardless of anti-HBs level, suggests that protection afforded by primary immunization with plasma-derived hepatitis B vaccine during childhood and adulthood lasts at least 32 years.
Key words - Received November 6, 2015.
- Accepted April 1, 2016.
- © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, e-mail journals.permissions{at}oup.com.
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