Efficacy of a Hepatitis B Vaccination Schedule With Two Cycles of Four Double Doses of Conventional Vaccine and Four Doses of Adjuvanted Vaccine in Chronic Kidney Disease Patients Evaluated for Renal Transplantation

Abstract Introduction The response to hepatitis B (HB) vaccine remains suboptimal among chronic kidney disease patients. The aim of this study was to analyze the efficacy of a hepatitis B vaccination schedule with two 4-double doses of conventional vaccine and four doses of adjuvant vaccine in chronic kidney disease patients evaluated for renal transplantation. Methods In this prospective study, we recruited chronic kidney disease patients evaluated for renal transplantation to receive four 40-μg doses of hepatitis B virus vaccine (0, 1, 2 and 6 months) and another four 40 μg doses of hepatitis B virus vaccine and four 20 μg doses of adjuvant vaccine if they were nonresponders. AntiHBs titers were analyzed before every vaccine dose and 1 month after the fourth dose. Results One hundred fifty-five patients were enrolled in the study. The response to the vaccination increased until the seventh dose: first dose, 5.4%; second, 29.5%; third, 66.7%; fourth, 75.9%; fifth, 83.3%; sixth, 87.3%; seventh, 92.5%; and eighth, 93.8%. AntiHBs titers after the first and second vaccination with Engerix were 10 to 99 mIU/mL in the 12% and 7.7%, 100 to 999 mIU/mL in the 30.1%, and 46.2%, and 1000 mIU/mL in the 34.9% and 15.4%, respectively. Fendrix was administrated in 6.2% of the patients and 75% of them obtained a response. AntiHBc-positive patients obtained a response with one vaccination cycle in the 71.4%. The response was influenced by age and was greater in women. Adverse events were found in 11.5% of the patients (inflammation and/or local pain), which were less frequent in men (8.9% versus 16.1%) and similar for both vaccines. Conclusion The response to the hepatitis B vaccination with four double doses of conventional vaccine and revaccination with the same schedule and adjuvanted vaccine shows a high response rate in chronic kidney disease evaluated for renal transplantation.