The Association Between Vaccine Response and sCD30 Level in Patients Using Immunomodulator Drugs and Having Received Hepatitis B Vaccination

Introduction: Biologic agents like adalimumab, infliximab, etanercept, ustekunimab and golimumab used for autoimmune diseases suppress T cell-mediated immune response. The defects of cytokines related to T helper 1 and 2 cells have been detected in non-responder subjects to hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccine. Soluble Cluster of Differentiation 30 (sCD30) is related to the balance of T helper 1/2. Therefore, we investigated the impact of sCD30 on vaccine response. To our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate the role of sCD30 as a potential serological marker of HBV vaccine response. Materials and Methods: Seventy-five patients using biologic drugs were vaccinated with hepatitis B vaccine at a dosage of 20 or 40 mu g. The serum titer of anti-HBs and sCD30 were measured four weeks after the last vaccine dose. Results: Thirty-nine (52%) of the participants were male. Mean age was 43.4 +/- 11.5 years. Forty-one (54.7%) patients received standard dose HBV vaccine. Thirty-eight (50.7%) patients responded. Serum sCD30 level was similar in responders and non-responders to HBV vaccine in the whole group. However, we found an inverse relation between antibody response to HBV vaccine and sCD30 level in patients with psoriasis who received high dose vaccine regime [69.5 (28.5-131.7) pg/mL and 47.1 (32.0-80.6) pg/mL respectively, p=0.037]. Conclusion: This study pointed out that sCD30 may play a role in hepatitis B vaccine response.