20 μg hepatitis B vaccination reduced the risk of low responsiveness in infants with HLA-II risk genotype of HBsAg positive mothers

Infants born to HBV carrier mothers are persistently at a higher risk for HBV infection. We investigated the association between HLA SNPs and low responsiveness to HBV vaccination, and the differences of immune response in carriers of risk genotypes who received different doses of the vaccination. 1040 infants from the prevention of mother-to-infant transmission of HBV cohort were included. Infants born to HBsAg (+) and HBeAg (−)/HBeAg (+) mothers received 10 μg/20 μg hepatitis B vaccine, respectively. Rs2857127, rs3135338, rs477515, rs9277554 and rs9286790 in HLA regions were well genotyped. A lower rate of low-responsiveness was observed in the 20 μg group. Rs3135338 GG and rs9277554 TT genotype showed stronger associations with low responsiveness (P < 0.05). The combination of 10 μg vaccine with the risk genotypes was independently associated with remarkably increased risk of low-responsiveness to hepatitis B vaccines (P < 0.05). HLA SNPs were associated with low-responsiveness to hepatitis B vaccine. For infants with risk genotypes, a 20 μg dose vaccine reduced the risk of low responsiveness.