Hepatitis B surface antibodies in medical students from a public university in Puebla, Mexico

Abstract

Although preventable with vaccination, Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major health concern, with »400 million people at risk of developing the chronic form of the disease worldwide. The anti-HBV vaccine consists of a recombinant HBV surface antigen (HBsAg), which induces specific anti-HBs antibodies and confers 95% protection for >20 y. The aim of the present study was to analyze the response to HBV vaccination by measuring anti-HBs antibodies in serum samples from medical students of a public university in Puebla, Mexico. HBV infection markers HBsAg and anti-HBs, were also determined. A total of 201 students were included and vaccination coverage was found at 54%. Overall seropositivity for HBsAg, anti-HBc and anti-HBs determined by ELISA was 0.5%, 1.0% and 47%, respectively. Protective levels of anti-HBs >10 mIU/mL were found in 93.2% of subjects vaccinated with 2 or 3 doses and in 40% of those vaccinated with a single dose; while only 4.8% of unvaccinated subjects were anti-HBs positive. The response to the HBV vaccine was different in each participant, despite similar vaccination scheme. A history of blood transfusion/organ transplant or more than 2 sexual partners was significantly associated with anti-HBc positivity, OR D 399 (p D 0.010) and OR D 19.9 (p D 0.044), respectively. HBV immunization coverage was low in our sample compared with reports from countries with similar HBV prevalence, but anti-HBs in vaccinated individuals were in the expected range. It is important to promote HBV vaccination and awareness among medical students, due to their exposure risk.

Hepatitis A, B and C seropositivity among first-year healthcare students in western Turkey: a seroprevalence study

“…These findings can be attributed to the effectiveness of the vaccination program. In our study, the percentage of anti-HBs seropositive HCS was consistent with those reported in some other countries, such as Poland, Mexico, the United States, and Italy [22][23][24][25]; nevertheless, it was higher than the results of studies from Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, the United Arab Emirates, Italy, Spain, Palestine, and Iran [21,[26][27][28][29][30][31]. The anti-HB seropositivity of HCSs is widely distributed (17.0 to 89.4%) in Turkey [12,32,33].…”

Immunization against Hepatitis B Surface Antigen (HBsAg) in a Cohort of Nursing Students Two Decades after Vaccination: Surprising Feedback

“…Several researches conducted among students attending healthcare courses highlighted the importance of measuring the immunological response against HBV and of the need for a booster dose in subjects with not protective values, since they have to be considered at higher risk of acquiring HBV infection due to traineeships and/or internships in hospital units [11][12][13][14][15][16].…”

Are the students in medicine, nursing and allied health higher schools protected from Hepatitis B: A cross-sectional study from Hatay, Turkey

“…16 , 20 , 22 , 23 However, two studies reported higher positivity rates in vaccinated groups: an 83.9% seroconversion rate was observed after a mean of 10 years between vaccine receipt and anti-HBs evaluation; 24 among medical students receiving 2 or 3 doses of the vaccine, anti-HBS positivity rate was 93.2%. 25 These variations could be related to many reasons including the number of doses received and the time since vaccination. Studies show the importance of confirmation after the vaccination.…”