Source
Immunology Section, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland; Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland.
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS:
Infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) can be prevented by vaccination with HB surface (HBs) antigen, which induces HBs-specific antibodies and T cells. However, the duration of vaccine-induced protective immunity is poorly defined for health care workers who were vaccinated as adults.
METHODS:
We investigated the immune mechanisms (antibody and T-cell responses) of long-term protection by the HBV vaccine in 90 health care workers with occupational exposure to HBV, 10-28 years after vaccination.
RESULTS:
Fifty-nine of 90 health care workers (65%) had levels of antibody to HBs antigen above the cut-off (>12 mIU/mL) and 30 of 90 (33%) had HBs-specific T cells that produced interferon-gamma. Antibody to HBs antigen titers correlated with numbers of HBs-specific interferon-gamma-producing T cells, but not with time after vaccination. Although occupational exposure to HBV after vaccination did not induce antibodies to the HBV core protein (HBcore), the standard biomarker for HBV infection, CD4+ and CD8+ T cells against HBcore and polymerase antigens were detected. Similar numbers of HBcore- and polymerase-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cells were detected in health care workers with occupational exposure to HBV and in patients who acquired immunity via HBV infection. Most of the HBcore- and polymerase-specific T cells were CD45RO+CCR7-CD127- effector memory cells in exposed health care workers and in patients with acquired immunity. In contrast, most of the vaccine-induced HBs-specific T cells were CD45RO-CCR7-CD127- and terminally differentiated.
CONCLUSIONS:
HBs antigen vaccine-induced immunity protects against future infection but does not provide sterilizing immunity, as evidenced by HBcore- and polymerase-specific CD8+ T cells in vaccinated health care workers with occupational exposure to HBV. The presence of HBcore- and HBV polymerase-specific T-cell responses is a more sensitive indicator of HBV exposure than detection of HBcore-specific antibodies.