Long-term antibody persistence and immune memory to hepatitis B virus in adult celiac patients vaccinated as adolescents

Aim of this study was to investigate the anti-HBs antibody persistence and immune memory to hepatitis B virus in adult celiacs vaccinated as adolescents and the effect of a booster administration in non-protected individuals. Eleven years after primary vaccination, the proportion of vaccinees with titres 6510 mIU/ml and antibody geometric mean concentrations (GMCs) were lower among celiac patients than among controls (68.6% vs 91.7%, p < 0.01; GMCs 29.38 mIU/ml vs 250.6 mIU/ml, p < 0.001). Participants with anti-HBs below 10 mIU/ml received a booster dose and were retested 2 weeks later to assess the anamnestic response. Post-booster anti-HBs levels were still <10 mIU/ml in 71.4% celiacs and 25% controls (p < 0.01). Our findings indicate that the prevalence of seroprotective levels of anti-HBs detected eleven years after primary immunization as well as the frequency of response to a booster dose of vaccine are lower in celiac patients compared to healthy controls