OBJECTIVES Hepatitis B infection (HBV) is prevalent among men who have sex with men (MSM) and may lead to significant morbidity and death. Although an effective vaccine exists vaccination rates among MSM are low. We conducted a systematic review to synthesise the various findings from empirical correlational studies to understand HBV vaccination and series completion among MSM. METHODS We sys...

BACKGROUND Vaccination against hepatitis B virus infection (HBV) is safe and effective; however, vaccine-induced antibody level wanes over time. Peak vaccine-induced anti-HBs level is directly related to antibody decay, as well as risk of infection and persistent carriage despite vaccination. We investigated the role of host genetic factors in long-term immunity against HBV infection based on p...

BACKGROUND Hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccination has effectively reduced the acute and chronic infection rates in recent years. Since 1983, HBV vaccination has been recommended for all neonates in Korea. METHODS This article reviews the impacts of HBV vaccination throughout the past 25 years in Korea. Before the introduction of the HBV vaccination program, approximately 8% of the general Korean...

INTRODUCTION Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Mother-To-Child-Transmission (MTCT) and prevention by combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) have been extensively studied. Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) MTCT from HIV/HBV co-infected women and prevention by antiretroviral therapy with dual activity have been poorly studied. The aim of the study was to assess HBV MTCT from HIV/HBV co-infected women in a...

Background Perinatal transmission is the main route of hepatitis B virus (HBV) transmission. While several measures have been attempted as means of preventing perinatal HBV transmission, the optimal strategy remains inconclusive. Methods We conducted a comprehensive search, through December 2016, for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared the following measures among pregnant women...

Patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection are at significant risk for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The most important risk factor associated with HCC is liver cirrhosis, which is again predominantly caused by chronic HBV or HCV infection. The most effective approach to avoid HCC development is to prevent HBV and HCV infection through vaccination. Ind...

BACKGROUND Co-infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is not infrequent as both share same route of exposure. The risk of developing chronic hepatitis B virus is 6%, in general population but can reach 10-20% in HBV/HIV co-infected patients. When compared to general population, the response rate to HBV vaccine in HIV-infected patients is diminished, so prev...

BACKGROUND Injection drug users (IDUs) are at high-risk for hepatitis B virus (HBV) and HIV. Due to concerns about non-adherence to multi-dose vaccine regimens however, IDUs are severely under-immunized against HBV and have been excluded from phase III trials of multi-dose candidate HIV vaccines in the United States. METHODS Through a randomized controlled trial, we compared the effectiveness...

The licensed vaccine against hepatitis B virus (HBV) is an effective means to prevent infection, but is not an effective therapeutic strategy to treat established chronic infections when used alone. In an animal model of chronic HBV infection (the woodchuck experimentally infected with woodchuck hepatitis virus (WHV)), the combination of conventional vaccine and potent antiviral drugs has shown...

DNA vaccines could induce protective immune responses in several animal models. Many strategies have been employed to improve the effect of nucleic acid vaccines. LIGHT is a member of the TNF superfamily and functions as a co-stimulatory molecule for T cell proliferation. In the study, the immunogenicity in the induction of humoral and cellular immune responses by HBV DNA vaccine and the adjuva...