The evaluation anti-HBsAb titer among university students in Shiraz, 2019

Background:   Regarding the availability of an effective vaccine against hepatitis B virus, global vaccination is the best cost-effective strategy to prevent HBV infection. However, some people may not respond to the vaccine or the titer of antibody decreases by time. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the frequency of anti-HBs antibody (anti-HBsAb), among university students in Fars province, southern Iran. Methods:  In this cross-sectional study, 825 medical students were enrolled. Blood samples were taken from the subjects, and the serum separated and stored at – 20 ºC until use. Next, HBs Ab titer was measured by ELISA method. Results:  Out of 825 students 54% was male and 46% were female. The mean age of the students was 19.5±1.9. The titer of anti-HBsAb in 529 (64%) of subjects was lower than 10 mIU/mL. Significant relationship was observed between age and the titer of anti-HBsAb (P=0.001), although no significant relationship was observed between gender (P=0.19), history of blood transfusion (P=0.58) and the titer of anti-HBsAb. Conclusion:  Finding of this study showed that the titer of anti-HBsAb in more than half of students was lower than 10 mIU/mL and by time the anti-HBsAb titer decreased, indicating the necessity of measurement of anti-HBsAb titer in medical students.