Antibody response to hepatitis B vaccination in hemodialytic patients

Background: Immune deficiency in hemodialytic and uremic patients decreases antibody response after hepatitis B (HB) vaccination. Acceptable response among these patients is an antibody level above 100 mIU/ml. Objective: To determine antibody response in hemodialytic patients after hepatitis B vaccination. Methods: A cross sectional descriptive study with census sampling was implemented on hemodialytic patients in Bou-Ali Sina teaching hospital of Qazvin in 2000. Eliminiating HBsAg positive and unvaccinated patients, final population was reduced from 70 to 63. Serum samples were tested by ELISA. Findings: Antibody level in 16 patients (25.4%) was undetectable and in overall 37 patients (58.7%) there was no protective antibody level (100 mIU/ml) despite vaccination. Response in female was 51.5% and in male was 30%. Conclusion: With regard to the risk of hepatitis B, completion of vaccination and quantitative test to determine the antibody response for hemodialytic patients is necessary.