Universal hepatitis B vaccine produced far-reaching effects

Liao MT. Pediatrics. 2011;doi:10.1542/peds.2010-3137.

Up to 20 years after children in Taiwan started getting routine vaccines against hepatitis B, there is a continued trend toward reduced hepatitis B virus-associated membranous nephropathy, according to research published online.

Min-Tser Liao, MD, of the department of pediatrics, Taoyuan Armed Forces General Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan, and other researchers examined data from 471 children who had been hospitalized with nephrotic syndrome and 488 long-term follow-up hepatitis B surface antigen-carrier children.

The researchers said the prevalence of hepatitis B virus-associated membranous nephropathy “in children with [nephrotic syndrome] was 11.6% between 1974 and 1984; 4.5% between 1984 and 1994; 2.1% between 1994 and 2004; and 0% between 2004 and 2009.”

The researchers said the number of children who were seropositive with hepatitis B surface antigen also decreased after universal vaccination.

“The vaccine produced a profound decline in hepatitis B virus infection via a reduction in horizontal transmission as well as a significant decrease in the overall incidence of hepatitis B virus-associated membranous nephropathy, which is closely related to hepatitis B horizontal infection,” they wrote.

The researchers said their data follow other data that have shown a decrease in the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma prevalence in the population after the implementation of the universal hepatitis V vaccination program in Taiwan.

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.

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