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Hepatitis B virus infection assessed 3 to 18 years after vaccination in Cuban children and adolescents born to HBsAg-positive mothers

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Abstract

Thirty-two participants, aged between 3-18 years, born to hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive mothers and vaccinated at birth were analyzed for hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Overall, 56% had anti-HB titers ≥10 IU/L; five were positive for antibodies to the core antigen (anti-HBc), and two of these were also positive for HBsAg/DNA. One of the HBsAg/anti-HBc double-negative children presented with an unusual occult infection (HBV DNA-positive). No known vaccine escape mutations were detectable. Our data suggest that the vaccine protected 93.8% of children in this high-risk group against chronic HBV infection. Occult infections should be considered even in countries with low endemicity and high vaccination coverage.

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Acknowledgements

The authors want to acknowledge Dr. Verena Muzio from the Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology for her valuable comments. Also, the authors are grateful for the support of the Cuban Program for the Control and Prevention of hepatitis viruses. For the work done in Luxembourg we acknowledge the financial support of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Tropical Medicine Pedro Kourí (IPK), Department of Virology, National Reference Laboratory on Viral Hepatitis, Autopista Novia del Mediodía, Km 61/2, La Lisa, Marianao 13, PO Box 601, Havana, Cuba

    Licel de los Angeles Rodríguez Lay, Marité Bello Corredor, Maria Caridad Montalvo Villalba, Annia Gertrudis Chibás Ojeda, Susel Sariego Frómeta, Manuel Diaz González, Yoandra Abad Lamoth & Meilin Sánchez Wong

  2. Infectious Diseases Research Unit, Department of Infection and Immunity, Luxembourg Institute of Health, 29, rue Henri Koch, L-4354, Esch-Sur-Alzette, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg

    Aurélie Sausy, Claude P. Muller & Judith M. Hübschen

Authors
  1. Licel de los Angeles Rodríguez Lay
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  2. Marité Bello Corredor
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  3. Maria Caridad Montalvo Villalba
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  4. Annia Gertrudis Chibás Ojeda
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  5. Susel Sariego Frómeta
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  6. Manuel Diaz González
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  7. Yoandra Abad Lamoth
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  8. Meilin Sánchez Wong
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  9. Aurélie Sausy
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  10. Claude P. Muller
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  11. Judith M. Hübschen
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Correspondence to Licel de los Angeles Rodríguez Lay.

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Rodríguez Lay, L., Bello Corredor, M., Montalvo Villalba, M.C. et al. Hepatitis B virus infection assessed 3 to 18 years after vaccination in Cuban children and adolescents born to HBsAg-positive mothers. Arch Virol 162, 2393–2396 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00705-017-3365-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00705-017-3365-6

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