PubMed · 4634168
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R Vranckx. 1973-05-12. Australian antigen in reference sera.. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.2.5862.368-c
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Chronic liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma associated with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection are among the most serious human health problems in highly endemic regions. Although, effective vaccines against HBV have been available for many years, over 350 million people still remain persistently infected with HBV. Current therapies fail to provide long-term control of viral replication in most patients. Viral persistence has been associated with a defect in the development of HBV-specific cell-mediated immunity. Vaccine-based strategies to boost or to broaden the weak virus-specific T cell response of patients with chronic hepatitis B are proposed as a means of terminating this persistent infection.
The subunit recombinant hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccines available in the US differ in hepatitis B surface antigen content. Clinical studies have linked higher antigen formulations with enhanced peak protective antibody levels. This is important for the elderly, smokers, the obese, and the immunocompromised. Immune memory, which is responsible for prolonged protection when HBV vaccine-induced antibody levels become undetectable, may be related to antigen persistence on immunologically active cells. Antigen persistence may be related to antigen content of the vaccine and thereby influences the duration of immunity. Proof of this concept will require additional studies of immune memory in HBV.
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