Comparing Anti-hepatitis B Antibody Level in Iranian Obese or Overweight with Non-obese Cases

Impact of body mass index on immunogenicity of hepatitis B vaccine in bariatric surgery candidates: A retrospective study

AIMS

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) immunization is regarded as the most effective method for the prevention of HBV infection. Various factors, including body mass index (BMI), may contribute to decreased immunization responses. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between BMI at the time of vaccination with anti-HBs levels over the following years.

METHODS

In this retrospective study, 790 vaccinated participants were recruited. Of these, individuals were selected whose hepatitis B antibody (HBsAb) information was available in 2017. The researchers contacted participants by phone to gather data regarding vaccination history, and weight at the time of vaccination. All data analysis was performed by SPSS.

RESULTS

This study included 165 eligible adults (28 males and 137 females). Among them, 79% participants were obese. Additionally, 46 (27.88%) and 119 (72.12%) had negative and positive HBsAb, respectively. There were no statistically significant differences seen across all characteristics, except for the number of HBV vaccinations between the positive and negative HBsAb groups. Multiple logistic regression also indicated no meaningful relationship between BMI and positive antibodies.

CONCLUSION

There was no relationship observed between BMI and immune response to HBV vaccine in bariatric candidates. Known risk factors (age, sex, diabetes, and the number of HBV vaccinations) were not independent predictors of the antibody response to the HBV vaccine.

Association between Body Mass Index and Hepatitis B antibody seropositivity in children

Background

The seropositivity rate of hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBs) antibodies is known to be ≥95% after hepatitis B virus vaccination during infancy. However, a low level or absence of anti-HBs in healthy children is discovered in many cases. Recent studies in adults reported that a reduced anti-HBs production rate is related to obesity.

Purpose

To investigate whether body mass index (BMI) affects anti-HBs levels in healthy children following 3 serial dose vaccinations in infancy.

Methods

We recruited 1,200 healthy volunteers aged 3, 5, 7, or 10 years from 4-day care centers and 4 elementary schools. All subjects completed a questionnaire including body weight, height, and vaccine type received. Levels of serum hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and anti-HBs in all subjects were analyzed using electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. The standardized scores (z score) for each sex and age were obtained using the lambda-mu-sigma method in the 2017 Korean National Growth Charts for children and adolescents.

Results

Our subjects (n=1,200) comprised 750 males (62.5%) and 450 females (37.5%). The overall anti-HBs seropositivity rate was 57.9% (695 of 1,200). We identified significant differences in mean BMI values between seronegative and seropositive groups (17.45 vs. 16.62, respectively; P<0.001). The anti-HBs titer was significantly decreased as the BMI z score increased adjusting for age and sex (B=-15.725; standard error=5.494; P=0.004). The probability of anti-HBs seropositivity based on BMI z score was decreased to an OR of 0.820 after the control for confounding variables (95% confidence interval, 0.728–0.923; P=0.001).

Conclusion

There was a significant association between anti-HBs titer and BMI z score after adjustment for age and sex. Our results indicate that BMI is a potential factor affecting anti-HBs titer in healthy children.

Hepatitis B Vaccine Acceptability among Nurses: A Theory Based Conceptualization

BACKGROUND

Hepatitis B is the most common occupational disease in health care providers. It can be followed by several complications. The aim of this study was to determine the cognitive determinants of hepatitis B (HB) vaccination Acceptability among nurses based on the Health Belief Model (HBM).

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted among 330 nurses in educational hospitals of Kermanshah city, during 2016. Samples were randomly selected with the proportional to size among different educational hospitals in Kermanshah. A structured questionnaire was applied for collecting data and data were analyzed using SPSS software version 16 by using bivariate correlations and logistic regression statistical tests.

RESULTS

The mean age of the respondents was 30.5 years [SD: 6.62]. About, 58.5% of the participants reported to have completed (three times) vaccination of HB. Female nurses were more likely to be fully vaccinated against HB than male nurses, with adjusted odds ratio estimate of 2.507 [95% CI: 1.523-4.125] and those who had family or friends with a history of HB with odds ratio estimate of 3.706 [95% CI: 1.317-10.425], making these the most influential predictive determinants for full uptake (three time) of HB vaccination. Among the HBM variables: perceived threat with odds ratio estimate of 1.264 [95% CI: 1.160-1.376], perceived self-efficacy with odds ratio estimate of 1.179 [95% CI: 1.020-1.363], and cues to action with odds ratio estimate of 1.335 [95% CI: 1.015-1.756], were the more influential predictors of full uptake (three time) of HB vaccination.

CONCLUSION

To development uptake vaccination programs promotion in addition to focusing on male nurses, using the results of the predictive constructs include; perceived threat perceived self-efficacy suggested. Based on our result, it seems that development and implementation of health promotion programs to increase threat about side effect of HB and self-efficacy regarding HB vaccination uptake may be usefulness of the findings to promotion of vaccination of HB.