TITLE:
Seropositivity for Hepatitis B Virus, Vaccination Status and Response to Vaccine in a Cohort of Dental Students
AUTHORS:
Monica Lamberti, Elpidio Maria Garzillo, Maria Rosaria Muoio, Antonio Arnese, Albert Nienhaus, Elia Abbondante, Gabriella Di Giuseppe, Paola Pedata, Alfredo De Rosado
KEYWORDS:
HBV Infection, HBV Vaccination, Anti-HBs Titre, Dental Students
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Preventive Medicine,
Vol.7 No.2,
February
17,
2017
ABSTRACT: Background: The development of a vaccine against hepatitis B virus (HBV) has been a major achievement in terms of prevention of HBV infection. To evaluate the immunological status against HBV of dental-profession students, we analysed the long-term immunogenicity and effectiveness of HBV vaccination in Italian dental students with different work seniorities, determining the influence of epidemiological variables on the immune response. Methods: This study, carried out from January 2014 to April 2016, involved 361 under- and post-graduate dental students attending the Second University of Naples. HBV serum markers were determined and multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with the level of long-term immunogenicity. Results: Of the 361 subjects evaluated, 15 (4.2%) declared no history of vaccination. All vaccinated subjects were HBsAg/anti-HBc negative, with 86 (24.9%) having an anti-HBs titre