HEPATITIS-B VACCINATION OF IMMUNOSUPPRESSED HEART-TRANSPLANT RECIPIENTS WITH THE VACCINE HEPA-GENE-3 CONTAINING PRE-S1-GENE, PRE-S2-GENE, AND S-GENE-PRODUCTS

The antibody response of immunosuppressed heart transplant recipients to vaccination with the hepatitis B (HB) virus vaccine Hepa Gene 3 (HG -3), containing HB virus pre-S1, pre-S2, and S gene products, was exam ined. Three heart transplant recipients who had been vaccinated preope ratively against HB responded well to the vaccination. Five of 38 pati ents (13.2%) vaccinated postoperatively before HG-3 vaccination with t he second-generation vaccine Gen-H-B-Vax-D (37 without and 1 with dete ctable anti-HBs response) and 3 of 24 (12.5%) without previous HB vacc ination developed protective anti-HBs titers (greater than 10 U/l) aft er immunization with the HG-3 vaccine. The low response rate (8/62, 12 .9%) found for postoperatively vaccinated patients indicates that hear t transplant recipients should be vaccinated against HB before immunos uppressive medication.