Antibody titer and response to Hepatitis B vaccination in Egyptian children with Chronic Liver Disease

Abstract

This research is aiming to evaluate antibody response to vaccination against Hepatitis B Virus in pediatric patients with different chronic liver diseases, and Correlate the antibody titer with the degree of liver disease. This case control study was conducted in Ain Shams University, Children's Hospital, on two groups of children and adolescents who had received Hepatitis B vaccine according to the compulsory schedule of vaccination in Egypt, by three intramuscular injections of 0.5 ml of the recombinant vaccine at 2, 4, 6 months:  Group "1": 37 patients with chronic liver disease the mean age of these cases was 6.94.15 years, eighteen cases (48.6%) were males and 19 cases (51.4%) were females subdivided into two groups: - Group 1a: 18 patients with chronic liver disease, their age range from 1-6 years to assess vaccine response, their mean age was 3.51.48, 9(50%) males and 9(50%) females. - Group 1b: 19 patients with chronic liver disease, their age range from 7-15 years to assess vaccine  Summary and Conclusion   102  longevity, their mean age was 10.152.91, 9(47.4%) males and 10(52.6%) females.  Group "2": 40 normal age and sex matched children and adolescents serving as a control group, recruited from the outpatient clinic coming for minor illness, the mean age of them was 7.044.13, 24 (60%) were males and 16 (40%) were females. All subjects included were subjected to; detailed history taking, physical examination with special emphasis on the abdominal examination including liver examination, laboratory investigation including complete blood count, total and direct bilirubin, serum albumin, prothrombin time, INR, ALT, AST, and ALP, assessment of Child Pugh Score, abdominal ultrasound, liver biopsy including HAI and Fibrosis Score, and measurement of Hepatitis B surface Antibody (HBsAb) titer by ELISA immunoassay. The results