Author/Authors :
Sayad, Babak kermanshah university of medical sciences - Liver Disease and Hepatitis Research Center, ايران , Alavian, Moayed baqiyatallah university of medical sciences - Research Center for Gastro enterology and Liver Diseases, ايران , Najafi, Farid kermanshah university of medical sciences - Health Research Center, ايران , Soltani, Bita kermanshah university of medical sciences - Liver Disease and Hepatitis Research Center, ايران , Shirvani, Maria kermanshah university of medical sciences - Liver Disease and Hepatitis Research Center, ايران , Janbakhsh, Alireza kermanshah university of medical sciences - Liver Disease and Hepatitis Research Center, ايران , Mansouri, Feyzollah kermanshah university of medical sciences - Liver Disease and Hepatitis Research Center, ايران , Afsharian, Mandana kermanshah university of medical sciences - Liver Disease and Hepatitis Research Center, ايران , Vaziri, Siavash kermanshah university of medical sciences - Liver Disease and Hepatitis Research Center, ايران , Alikhani, Arash kermanshah university of medical sciences - Liver Disease and Hepatitis Research Center, ايران , Bashiri, Homayoon kermanshah university of medical sciences - Liver Disease and Hepatitis Research Center, ايران
Abstract :
Background: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected patients are also frequently exposed to the hepatitis B virus (HBV), due to the common routes of transmission, therefore, prevention of hepatitis B results in decreased complications of the disease. Objectives: Since the immune response of HIV patients to hepatitis B vaccination is less robust than that found in healthy individuals, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of a levamisole adjuvant on increasing the immune response. Patients and Methods: In this study, 89 HIV infected patients, without a history of HBV infection or vaccination, were randomly allocated into experimental (44 patients) and control (45 patients) groups. HBV vaccination was performed using the Hepavax-Gene TF vaccine, 40 μg three times at intervals of; zero, one, and three months. Levamisole 50 mg twice a day or a placebo, was administered to the experimental and control groups, respectively, for a period of six days before to six days after the vaccination. Immune response was evaluated by measuring hepatitis B surface antibodies (HBsAb) concurrently with the second and third vaccine administration, and at one and three months at the conclusion of the vaccination program. Results: The immune response following the threevaccinations was higher in those who were receiving levamisole compared with the controls (90% vs. 65.38%) (P = 0.05). Furthermore, the immune response and the mean antibody titer following the repeated vaccination in the experimental group showed a higher increase than in the control group. The immune response and the mean titer of antibody were not associated with; age, sex, body mass index, history of smoking and/or intravenous drug use in either of the groups. However, regarding CD4+ cells more than 200 cell/mm3, mean antibody production significantly increased in both groups. Conclusions: Using levamisole with the hepatitis B vaccination can increase the immune response and antibody titer mean in HIV infected patients. Since these patients have a more complete response with CD4+ cells more than 200 cell/mm3, vaccination and effective adjuvants seem to be most beneficial when CD4+ cells are greater than 200 cell/mm3, in HIV infected patients.
Keywords :
HIV , Hepatitis B Virus , Vaccination , Levamisole
