ELECTRONIC ARTICLE |







* Division of Neonatal Intensive Care, IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy
Research Laboratory for Pediatric Oncohematology and Immunology, IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy
Biometric Unit, IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy
|| Immunohematology and Transfusional Center, IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy
¶ Laboratory of Medical Chemistry, IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy
# Institute of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
** Department of Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy

Department of Pediatrics, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy

Department of Pediatrics, University of Genova, Gaslini Institute, Genova, Italy
| ABSTRACT |
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Methods. We investigated the presence of autoantibodies in 210 6-year-old children who were immunized at birth with rHBv: 200 showed anti-hepatitis B surface antigen concentrations
10 mUI/mL at seroconversion (responders), and 10 were nonresponders. Data were compared with those obtained in 109 unvaccinated children. All participants were screened for the presence of antinuclear antibodies (ANAs), anti-DNA, antimitochondrial, anti-liver/kidney microsomal, antireticulin, anti-smooth muscle (SMA), and antiribosomal antibodies. All participants were also screened for the presence of antithyroid antibodies, such as antithyroglobulin and antiperoxidase, and for antibodies found in type 1 diabetes, such as tyrosine phosphatase (IA-2A) and glutamic acid decarboxylase (GADA). HLA typing was extended to all 10 nonresponders.
Results. Autoantibodies were found in 16 of the 200 responders: ANAs were found in 12 (6%), smooth muscle antibodies were found in 4 (2.0%), and antireticulin antibodies and endomysial antibodies were found in 1 girl with ANAs. Antithyroid antibodies, IA-2A, and GADA were not present in any of the participants. No significant difference was found in the frequency of autoantibodies between vaccinated and control children. Three of the 10 nonresponder children were SMA-positive (30% vs 2% of responders); they also carried the supratype HLA-C4AQ0,DRB1*0301,DQB1*02. A family history for autoimmune disorders was present in 3 (18%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.0%45.6%) of the 16 responder infants with autoantibodies, in 15 (8.4%; 95% CI: 4.6%13.1%) of responder children without autoantibodies, and in 1 (10%) of the 10 nonsreponder children.
Conclusions. From our data, vaccination with rHBv given during the neonatal period does not seem to increase autoantibody production in a 6-year-old children. Autoantibodies, referred to as natural autoantibodies, can be found in healthy participants, but their significance is unclear. These autoantibodies often cross-react with bacteria or tumor antigens, suggesting their importance in innate immunity. It has been demonstrated in an animal model that self-antigen can promote B-cell accumulation, and that a significant proportion of natural autoantibodies is the product of this self-antigen- dependent process. Consequently, it has been speculated that self-antigens play a positive role in recruiting B cells as a part of innate immunity, but this process carries a potential risk for unregulated growth.
Spreading of the immune response is a common theme in organ-specific and systemis autoimmune diseases, and this could be initiated by exogenous agents, in genetically susceptible hosts, owing to molecular mimicry of natural antigen. Moreover, 3 (18%) of the 16 children who had autoantibodies had a family history of autoimmume diseases. Thus, it is apparent that susceptibility to autoimmunity is determined by genetic factors rather than by vaccine challenge. Among all the children considered, only 1 girl (0.5%) developed celiac disease, reflecting the prevalence described in the literature. GADA and IA-2A were not found in our children; this observation is in agreement with data showing that type 1 diabetes risk may not be altered by vaccinations administered during childhood. On the contrary, a high frequency (30%) of autoantibodies, in particular SMA, was observed in the nonresponder children. The 3 SMA-positive children carried the HLA-C4Q0,DRB1*0301,DQB1*02 haplotype, a well-known predisposing factor for autoimmune disorders. On the other hand, the presence of autoantibodies to smooth muscle is known to be common in hepatitis B infection, and, it has been shown that cross-reactive immunity targeting homologous self-protein may partly account for autoantibody production. Although hepatitis B vaccination given during the neonatal period does not increase autoantibody production in 6-year-old immunized children, we deem useful a more prolonged follow-up for these nonresponder children carrying certain HLA haplotypes (such as C4AQ0,DRB1*0301,DQB1*02), particularly because most autoimmune diseases do not develop until later in life.
Key Words: hepatitis B vaccine autoantibody autoimmune diseases
Abbreviations: HLA, human leukocyte antigen rHBv, recombinant hepatitis B vaccine HBsAg, hepatitis B surface antigen SR, slow responder TNR, true nonresponder ANA, antinuclear antibodies SMA, smooth muscle antibodies GADA, glutamic acid decarboxylase antibodies
| INTRODUCTION |
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The presence of autoantibodies is associated with autoimmune diseases11; nevertheless, it has been reported that healthy children could transiently present autoantibodies (natural autoantibodies).12 However, genetic predisposition, marked by human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I and II genes, augments the probability of developing an autoimmune disorder after a triggering vaccination.1 In a previous study, conducted on children who were immunized at birth with recombinant hepatitis B vaccine (rHBv), we demonstrated that different HLA products seem to act as agonists (C4AQ0, DRB1*0301, and DQB1*02) or antagonists (DRB1*11 and DQB1*0301) in lowering humoral response to rHBv.13 Because HLA-DRB1*0301, DQB1*02, and C4AQ0 are markers of autoimmune diseases, these results suggest that nonresponsiveness to hepatitis B virus peptides might identify participants with a genetic risk of developing autoimmune pathologies.
The aim of the present study was to define the frequency of autoantibody production after rHBv in 6-year-old children who were vaccinated at birth.
| METHODS |
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10 mUI/mL at seroconversion. Eighty-three of these infants received 10 µg of rHBv intramuscularly on the fourth day, at 1 month, and at 3 months of life (accelerated schedule); the other 117 infants received 10 µg of rHBv intramuscularly on the fourth day, at 1 month, and 6 months of life (traditional schedule). Anti-HBsAg concentration was evaluated 30 ± 7 days after the last dose of vaccine (seroconversion).14 All 4835 participants had received 3 doses of 10 µg of Engerix B recombinant vaccine at 4 days, 1 month, and 6 months of age. The anti-HBsAg concentration was evaluated 30 ± 7 days after the last dose of vaccine.
Infants with antibody level <10 mIU/mL at seroconversion were boosted with an additional dose of vaccine. Three classes of participants were identified, as reported elsewhere13:
10 mIU/mL at seroconversion. In the 200 responding and 10 nonresponding participants enrolled, family history for autoimmune diseases was investigated through a structured questionnaire. Data observed in responder and nonresponder children were compared with those obtained in a historical control group of 109 participants (75 boys and 34 girls; age range: 26 years; mean age: 5.1 years) who had not been vaccinated against hepatitis B because they were born before anti-hepatitis B virus immunization became mandatory for newborn children.12 This sample had a statistically significant difference in gender composition with respect of immunized sample.
Anti-HBsAg Antibody Levels
Anti-HBsAg antibody levels were evaluated by an enzyme immunoassay (AUSB EIA kit; Abbott Laboratories, Chicago, IL). The limit of detection was 0.1 mIU/mL. Levels
10 mIU/mL were considered protective.
Non-Organ-Specific Autoantibodies
All participants were screened in the same time for the presence of antinuclear (ANA), anti-DNA, antimitochondrial, anti-liver/kidney microsomal, antireticulin, anti-smooth muscle (SMA), and antiribosomal antibodies by immunofluorescence on cryostat section of rat liver and kidney as antigen. Sera were diluted 1:10, and fluorescein-conjugated rabbit anti-human immunoglobulin (Dako, Copenhagen, Denmark) was used as previously described.12 Results were expressed as negative (), positive (+), and strongly positive (+ +).
Organ-Specifc Autoantibodies
All participants were screened in the same time for the presence of antithyroid antibodies such as antithyroglobulin and antiperoxidase by radioimmunoassay (CIS Bio International, Cedex, France). With regard to type 1 diabetes, the measurement of autoantibodies to tyrosine phosphatase (IA-2) and to glutamic acid decarboxylase was determined by radioimmunoassay (CIS Bio International). Glutamic acid decarboxylase antibodies (GADA) levels >0.9 and IA-2A levels > 0.75 were considered positive. Inter- and intra-assay coefficient of variation was 7.2% and 2.9%, respectively.15 With regard to celiac disease, antiendomysial antibodies were determined by immunofluorescence (Bios GmbH, Graefelfing, Germany) on cryostat section of distal monkey esophagus.16 The person who performed the test was blinded to the cohort under examination.
HLA Typing
HLA class I and II genomic polymorphism at high-resolution level was defined in all of the nonresponder children. HLA class III typing for C4A and C4B was performed at the protein level, as previously described.13
Statistical Analysis
Autoantibody frequencies in all groups were compared by means of
2 or Fisher exact test, as appropriate. P < .05 was considered significant.
| RESULTS |
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| DISCUSSION |
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Autoantibodies, referred to as natural autoantibodies, can be found in healthy individuals, but their significance is unclear.18,19 These autoantibodies often cross-react with bacteria or tumor antigens, suggesting their importance in innate immunity.20,21 It has been demonstrated in an animal model22 that self-antigen can promote B-cell accumulation and that a significant proportion of natural autoantibodies is the product of this self-antigen-dependent process. Consequently, it has been speculated that self-antigens play a positive role in recruiting B cells as a part of innate immunity,22 but this process carries a potential risk for unregulated growth. However, in our previous study, we demonstrated that patients who are affected by type 1 diabetes responded to rHBv and that no association existed between anti-HBsAg titer and the presence of organ- and/or non- organ-specific antibodies or other associated immune-mediated diseases.23
Spreading of the immune response is a common theme in organ-specific and systemic autoimmune diseases, and this could be initiated by exogenous agents, in genetically susceptible hosts, owing to molecular mimicry of natural antigen.11 Moreover, 3 of the 16 children (18%) who had autoantibodies had a family history of autoimmune diseases. Thus, it is apparent that susceptibility to autoimmunity is determined by genetic factors rather than by vaccine challenge. Among all of the children considered, only 1 girl (0.5%) developed celiac disease, reflecting the prevalence described in the literature.24,25 Moreover, the 2 different vaccination schedules applied did not affect autoantibody development. GADA and IA-2A were not found in our children; this observation is in agreement with the data of De Stefano et al,26 who showed that type 1 diabetes risk may not be altered by vaccinations administered during childhood. On the contrary, a high frequency (30%) of autoantibodies, in particular SMA, was observed in the nonresponder children. The 3 SMA-positive children carried the HLA-C4AQ0,DRB1*0301,DQB1*02 haplotype, a widely known predisposing factor for autoimmune disorders. However, the presence of antibodies to smooth muscle is known to be common in hepatitis B infection, and it has been shown that cross-reactive immunity targeting homologous self-protein may partly account for autoantibody production.27 Although hepatitis B vaccination given in neonatal age does not increase autoantibody production in 6-year-old immunized children, we deem useful a more prolonged follow-up for these nonresponder children carrying certain HLA haplotypes (eg, C4AQ0,DRB1*0301,DQB1*02), particularly because most autoimmune diseases do not develop until later in life.
| ACKNOWLEDGMENTS |
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We thank E. Lenta for technical assistance.
| FOOTNOTES |
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Reprint requests to (C.B.) Divisione Neonatologia, IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Viale Golgi 19, 27100 Pavia, Italy. E-mail: cbelloni{at}smatteo.pv.it
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