Mohammad-Hossein Somi
1, Mohammad-Reza Ardalan
2, Majid Moghadaszadeh
3*, Masoud Shirmohamadi
1, Reza Piri
4, Mohammad Naghavi-Behzad
51 Professor, Liver and Gastrointestinal Disease Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
2 Professor, Chronic Renal Failure Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
3 Resident, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
4 Student of Medicine, Medical Philosophy and History Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
5 Student of Medicine, Students Research Committee, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
Abstract
Introduction: High risk of
blood-borne infections is one of the problems of patients with chronic kidney
disease (CKD), above which, there is hepatitis B. One of the ways to prevent
this disease is vaccination against hepatitis B besides observing standard
precautions. Lack of response to vaccine in uremic patients has been reported
up to 33.0%. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of levamisole
as an adjuvant in improving vaccination response in patients suffering from CKD.
Methods: In this cohort study, 30 patients suffering from
the chronic renal disease who had undergone levamisole plus hepatitis B vaccine
were included in the study as exposed group (Group A). Then 30 equivalent
patients who had just underwent hepatitis B vaccination were in the study as a
unexposed group (Group B). Antibody titer against hepatitis B virus (HBV) was
compared between two groups monthly, then data was analyzed.
Results: Mean age of all investigated patients was 58.1 ±
14.9 years old, and it ranged from 26 to 82. 23 patients (38.3%) were female,
and 37 patients (61.7%) were male. None of the patients in both groups had a
history of previous hepatitis B vaccination. Mean antibody titer was higher in
group A than that of the group B after the first and second stages of hepatitis
B vaccination. However, the difference between two groups was not statistically
significant
(P = 0.14 and P = 0.46 respectively). Also, the mean antibody titer after the
third stage was 98.8 ± 61 u/l in group A and 86.2 ± 49 u/l in group B
where the difference between two groups was not statistically significant (P =
0.38). Side effects resulted from levamisole was not observed in any of
patients in group A.
Conclusion: According to the results it is possible to express
that levamisole pill could be used as a proper adjuvant in improving the
response of hepatitis B vaccination in patients suffering from CKD. However,
further studies in this field are recommended according to the lack of
significant difference between two groups for confirming above mentioned point.