LAUSR

Objective: To explore the relationship between the status of HBsAg-positive infection of mothers and the non/low-response to hepatitis B vaccine of their infants. Methods: A total of 225 pairs of mothers and their infants were recruited in our cohort from June 2011 to July 2013. Infants were given three doses of hepatitis B vaccine at hour 24, first month and month 6(t)h respectively and were followed up for one year after birth. HBV serological markers and HBV DNA in the peripheral blood of both mothers and infants were detected by Electro-chemiluminescence immunoassay and fluorescence quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction. Results: Six HBV infection models were detected in HBsAg-positive mothers, and "HBsAg (+), HBeAg (+), anti-HBc (+)" (model one) and "HBsAg (+), anti-HBe (+), anti-HBc (+)" (model two) accounted for 92.5%(208/225) of all the models. Rate of non/low-response to hepatitis B vaccine in infants born to mothers in model one was lower than those in model two, the differences are statistically significant (χ(2)=4.80, P=0.029). The rate of non/low-response to hepatitis B vaccine in infants showed a downward trend with the rising of HBeAg level in their mothers (χ(2)=4.86, P=0.028). Results from the unconditional logistic regression analysis showed that the HBeAg of the HBsAg-positive mothers was significantly correlated with the low risk of non/low-response to hepatitis B vaccine in infants (OR=0.598, 95%CI: 0.378-0.947). The positive rate of serum HBV DNA in HBsAg-positive mothers was 54.2%, while the rate of non/low-response to hepatitis B vaccine in infants born to HBV DNA positive mothers was similar to those infants born to HBV DNA negative mothers (χ(2)=0.22, P=0.640). Conclusions: "HBsAg (+), HBeAg (+), anti-HBc (+)" and "HBsAg (+), anti-HBe(+), anti-HBc (+)" were the common models seen in HBsAg-positive mothers, and the rate of non/low-response to hepatitis B vaccine was different between the two models. HBeAg of HBsAg-positive mothers might have positive effects on the immune response to hepatitis B vaccine in infants but the mechanisms remained not clear. HBV DNA of the HBsAg-positive mothers did not seem to be correlated with the immune response to hepatitis B vaccine in infants.