The evaluation of immune responses that occur after HBV infection and HBV vaccination in hemodialysis patients

The hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccination never lose its importance; however, we did not get immune response with vaccination in some cases at the hemodialysis (HD) units. In this research, our aim was to evaluate antibody responses that constitute with natural ways and vaccination against HBV infection in chronic HD patients. In this retrospective cohort study (between 1999 February and 2001 December), 34 patients, 19 males and 15 females that were at the HD program, were enrolled. Patients were divided into two groups: group A, vaccination group ( n=15); and group B, anti-HBc IgG (+) cases ( n=19). We injected 40 μg of recombinant HBV vaccine into the deltoid muscle at 0, 1, 2, and 6 months. The anti-HBs levels, over 10 mIU/mL, were accepted for enough immunization. In group A, after vaccination 12 of 15 (80%) patients had seroconversion but later, in five of 12 (33.3%) patients, HBs-antibody became negative and in seven of 12 (46.7%) patients the positivity of HBs-antibody continued. However, in group B, 16 of 19 (66.7%) immune patients who faced HBV infection, it was established that antibody response continued ( P>0.05). The patients in group A who had anti-HCV negativity and serum albumin levels ≥3.5 g/dL (7/0; P