TURKISH NEPHROLOGY DIALYSIS AND TRANSPLANTATION JOURNAL, cilt.7, ss.202-206, 1998 (ESCI)
Hepatitis B vaccine is effective in producing
protection against hepatitis B virus infection in uremic
patients, but these patients respond less well than do
the healthy. In this study, we vaccinated 29
hemodialysis patients, 11 continuous ambulatory
peritoneal dialysis patients, and 15 predialysis patients.
The anti-HBs antibody-seronegative patients followed
a four-dose vaccination schedule (0,1,2, and 6 months)
with 40 μg DNA-recombinant hepatitis B vaccine. The
rate of total seroconversion was 78%. No differences
could be found between responders and nonresponders
concerning dialysis type or erythropoietin therapy. In
conclusion, unresponsiveness to hepatitis B vaccine in
uremic patients was related to factors such as older
age, male sex, the presence of HCV-infection.