Efficacy of Hepatitis B Virus Surface Antigen Vaccine as a Therapeutic Tool, in Inactive Hepatitis B Virus Carriers

Abstract

Background: Available drugs are not able to eradicate intracellular viral DNA in patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections. HBsAg vaccine could induce immunity and subsequently eradicate Hepatitis B virus in proportions of these patients. Our aim was to evaluate the efficacy of HBsAg as a mode of therapy in inactive carriers.

Materials and Methods: Forty two consecutive patients of inactive carriers were enrolled. All patients underwent liver biopsies. The modified Ishak score of all cases were less than 4. Twenty microgram of recombinant HBsAg vaccine injected intradermally 3 times (at 0, one and 6 months). Biochemical and serological variables evaluated initially and 6 months after the last injection.

Results: The mean age was 39.6 ± 11.12. Male/female ratio was (67.4%). Two out of 42 cases lost their HBsAg (4.74%). The difference was significant comparing to one percent annual spontaneous HBsAg loss (p=0.014). In addition serum albumin level was significantly increased after vaccination (p=0.009). Rest of the biochemical and serological variables had no significant changes comparing pre and post vaccination.

Conclusions: Intradermal injection of HBV surface antigen vaccine could induce significant HBsAg loss. This mode of therapy is cheap, physiologic and without complication. However, the results of this study should be confirmed in further large controlled trial.