Hepatitis B virus infection assessed 3 to 18 years after vaccination in Cuban children and adolescents born to HBsAg-positive mothers

Licel de los Angeles Rodríguez Lay*, Marité Bello Corredor, Maria Caridad Montalvo Villalba, Annia Gertrudis Chibás Ojeda, Susel Sariego Frómeta, Manuel Diaz González, Yoandra Abad Lamoth, Meilin Sánchez Wong, Aurélie Sausy, Claude P. Muller, Judith M. Hübschen

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer-review

5 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Thirty-two participants, aged between 3-18 years, born to hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive mothers and vaccinated at birth were analyzed for hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Overall, 56% had anti-HB titers ≥10 IU/L; five were positive for antibodies to the core antigen (anti-HBc), and two of these were also positive for HBsAg/DNA. One of the HBsAg/anti-HBc double-negative children presented with an unusual occult infection (HBV DNA-positive). No known vaccine escape mutations were detectable. Our data suggest that the vaccine protected 93.8% of children in this high-risk group against chronic HBV infection. Occult infections should be considered even in countries with low endemicity and high vaccination coverage.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2393-2396
Number of pages4
JournalArchives of Virology
Volume162
Issue number8
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Aug 2017

Keywords

  • HBV vaccine escape mutants
  • Occult HBV infection
  • Post-vaccination serological testing
  • Seroprotection

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