Does Celiac Disease Affect Antibody Production Against Hepatitis B in Children?

Celiac disease is an immune-mediated systemic disease, in which gluten ingestion causes different symptoms. HLADQ2 is positive in 90% - 95% of celiac patients. HLA has been considered to inhibit antibody production against the hepatitis B virus vaccine. Considering that celiac disease affects about 1% of the population, this phenomenon could be a significant factor in immunization programs. On the other hand, HLA-DQ2 positive patients not only are at the risk of HBV infection themselves but also have the potential to be an important source of HBV dissemination in the world.

This study was carried out to evaluate the responsiveness of celiac-affected children to HBV vaccination in Iran.

This case-control prospective study was performed on 62 Iranian children (31 children with confirmed celiac disease before introducing a gluten-free diet and 31 healthy children). HBS Ab (antibody against hepatitis B virus surface antigen) titer was checked in the patients and compared between the two groups.

It was shown that 67.7% of cases and 64.5% of controls had HBS Ab titer above 10 mIU/mL, but the difference was not significant statistically. After matching for the time interval from the last HBV vaccination, it was observed that although non-significantly, celiac disease can decrease the chance for anti-HBS production up to 30%.

This study did not confirm non-responsiveness against the HBV vaccine in celiac disease in children. This may be due to genetic factors or type of vaccine. Moreover, in our study, responsiveness was assessed qualitatively in the two groups (HBS Ab > 10 mIU/mL was considered as a responder).