Persistence of vaccine immunity against hepatitis B virus and response to revaccination in vertically HIV-infected adolescents on HAART

Humoral immune response to vaccine antigens is known to be reduced in perinatally HIV-infected children. Lymphocyte immunophenotyping, humoral immunity to hepatitis B after primary immunization and response to revaccination were evaluated in 40 HIV-infected adolescents on HAART and 23 healthy age-matched controls. Anti-HBs antibody levels ≥10 mIU/mL were found in 18/40 (40.5%) of the HIV-infected adolescents and 18/23 (78.3%) of the HIV-negative adolescents from Control group. Adolescents of HIV group with anti-HBs ≥ 10 mIU/mL presented a higher CD4+ T cell percentage, higher naïve and central memory CD8+ T cell percentages and lower immune activation markers. After revaccination, 12/18 (66.7%) adolescents of HIV group responded. Those adolescents who did not respond to revaccination presented a lower CD4+ T cell percentage, higher immune activation markers and more frequently detectable HIV viral load. We concluded that lower immune activation, higher CD4+ T cell percentage and better control of HIV replication may be associated with hepatitis B vaccine response.