Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is the most common cause of liver disease in endemic areas such as South Korea. After HBV vaccination, hepatitis B surface antibody (HBsAb) titers gradually decrease. Trends in HBsAb titers have not been evaluated among children in South Korea over the past decade.
Lee et al BMC Pediatrics (2017) 17:164 DOI 10.1186/s12887-017-0924-7 RESEARCH ARTICLE Open Access Changes in hepatitis B virus antibody titers over time among children: a single center study from 2012 to 2015 in an urban of South Korea Kyeong Hun Lee1, Kyu Seok Shim1, In Seok Lim1,2, Soo Ahn Chae1,2, Sin Weon Yun1,2, Na Mi Lee1, Young Bae Choi1 and Dae Yong Yi1,2* Abstract Background: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is the most common cause of liver disease in endemic areas such as South Korea After HBV vaccination, hepatitis B surface antibody (HBsAb) titers gradually decrease Trends in HBsAb titers have not been evaluated among children in South Korea over the past decade Methods: We screened 6155 patients (aged months to 17 years) who underwent HBV antigen/antibody testing at Chung-Ang University Hospital from May 2012 to April 2015 Titer criteria were defined as follows: positive, titer ≥100 IU/L; weakly positive, titer 10–99 IU/L; and negative, titer