News
ICViewExpert PerspectivesMedical World NewsPathogen PlaybookVideosWebinars
Conference CoverageConference ListingAPIC Chapters
Infection Control TodaySupplements And Featured Publications
CME/CEEditorial Advisory BoardJob BoardPartnersSponsoredWhitepapers
Subscribe
Educator of the Year Official Rules2024 Educator of the Year Winner2023 Educator of the Year WinnerEducator of the Year
Advanced TechnologyAdvanced TechnologyAdvanced Technology
Bug of the Month
COVID-19
Environmental ServicesEnvironmental Services
HAIs
Hand Hygiene
IC Trends
Long-Term CareLong-Term Care
Operating Room
Personal Protective EquipmentPersonal Protective Equipment
Policy
PreventionPreventionPreventionPrevention
Sterile ProcessingSterile Processing
Surface Disinfection
Vascular Access
Spotlight -
  • IC Trends
  • Bug of the Month
  • Featured Articles
  • Featured Columns
  • Pathogen Playbook
Advanced TechnologyAdvanced TechnologyAdvanced Technology
Bug of the Month
COVID-19
Environmental ServicesEnvironmental Services
HAIs
Hand Hygiene
IC Trends
Long-Term CareLong-Term Care
Operating Room
Personal Protective EquipmentPersonal Protective Equipment
Policy
PreventionPreventionPreventionPrevention
Sterile ProcessingSterile Processing
Surface Disinfection
Vascular Access
    • News
    • Subscribe
Advertisement

Age-Related Response to the Hepatitis B Vaccine Linked to Inflammation

January 20, 2016
Article

Physicians have known for years that patients respond differently to vaccines as they age. There may soon be a new way to predict and enhance the effectiveness of vaccinations, in particular the hepatitis B vaccine. Researchers at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and Merck Research Laboratories have found that common biomarkers of inflammation can help to identify which patients might respond to vaccination and inform age-related vaccination schedules as well as interventions that might boost effectiveness, such as anti-inflammatory drugs. Their new study, “Pre-Vaccination Inflammation and B-cell Signaling Predict Age-related Hyporesponse to Hepatitis B Vaccination,” was published in the current issue of Nature Communications.

Aging confers elevated risk of illness and death from infection. In industrialized countries, a large and growing population of older individuals has compounded the need for better prevention of severe or poorly treatable infections among the elderly. Vaccination is a proven approach to preventing diseases such as hepatitis B, but low age-related response caused by changes to the immune system can limit the effectiveness in the elderly. Researchers at Case Western and Merck now outline a new model to help predict age-related response to the hepatitis B vaccine, showing that relatively common biomarkers of immune response and inflammation can be used to predict response. This information can help with the development of new vaccine schedules for older patients and determine whether additional interventions-in some cases as simple as aspirin or rapamycin-should be used to address inflammation and maximize vaccine effectiveness.

“We have known for some time that vaccine response changes with age, but we have not been clear on the mechanism nor the important role of inflammation,” says Rafick-Pierre Sékaly, PhD, Department of Pathology, and the Richard J. Fasenmyer Professor of Immunopathogensis at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. “By understanding the gene expression of immune inflammatory pathways, we believe that we are close to creating models to predict and improve vaccine response.”

In the study, hepatitis B virus-naïve older adults received three vaccines, including one against HBV. The researchers found that heightened expression of genes that augment B-cell responses and higher memory B-cell frequencies correlated with stronger responses to the hepatitis B vaccine. In contrast, higher levels of inflammatory response transcripts and increased frequencies of pro-inflammatory innate cells correlated with weaker responses to this vaccine. Increased numbers of erythrocytes and the heme-induced response also correlated with poor response to the hepatitis B vaccine.

This study was funded in part by the Richard J. Fasenmyer Foundation and Merck Research Laboratories.

Hepatitis B is a viral infection that attacks the liver and can cause acute and chronic disease. According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 240 million people are chronically infected with hepatitis B and more than 780,000 people die every year due to complications of hepatitis B, including cirrhosis and liver cancer.

Source: Case Western Reserve University 

Recent Videos
DJ Shannon, MPH, CIC, VA-BC, FAPIC
Jordan Bastian, MPH, CIC, at APIC25
Jordan Bastian, MPH, CIC, at APIC25
Pathogen Playbook Presenter: Sharon Ward-Fore, BS, MS, MT(ASCP), CIC, FAPIC
Pathogen Playbook Presenter: Sharon Ward-Fore, BS, MS, MT(ASCP), CIC, FAPIC
Pathogen Playbook Presenter: Sharon Ward-Fore, BS, MS, MT(ASCP), CIC, FAPIC
Pathogen Playbook Presenter: Sharon Ward-Fore, BS, MS, MT(ASCP), CIC, FAPIC
Pathogen Playbook Presenter: Sharon Ward-Fore, BS, MS, MT(ASCP), CIC, FAPIC
Pathogen Playbook Presenter: Sharon Ward-Fore, BS, MS, MT(ASCP), CIC, FAPIC
Pathogen Playbook Presenter: Sharon Ward-Fore, BS, MS, MT(ASCP), CIC, FAPIC
Related Content

Operating room, surgical site infections   (Adobe Stock, Unknown)

The Next Frontier in Infection Control: AI-Driven Operating Rooms

Tori Whitacre Martonicz
Published: July 15th 2025 | Updated: July 15th 2025
Article

Discover how AI-powered sensors, smart surveillance, and advanced analytics are revolutionizing infection prevention in the OR. Herman DeBoard, PhD, discusses how these technologies safeguard sterile fields, reduce SSIs, and help hospitals balance operational efficiency with patient safety.


The doctor is injecting a vaccination into the arm of a little girl.   Adobe Stock 170524806 by pingpao

Targeting Uncertainty: Why Pregnancy May Be the Best Time to Build Vaccine Confidence

Tori Whitacre Martonicz
July 15th 2025
Article

New national survey data reveal high uncertainty among pregnant individuals—especially first-time parents—about vaccinating their future children, underscoring the value of proactive engagement to strengthen infection prevention.


The doctor is injecting a vaccination into the arm of a little girl.   Adobe Stock 170524806 by pingpao

No Link Found Between Aluminum in Vaccines and Chronic Disorders

Tori Whitacre Martonicz
July 14th 2025
Article

A Danish study of 1.2 million children found no increased risk of autoimmune, allergic, or neurodevelopmental disorders from aluminum in early childhood vaccines, helping close key safety evidence gaps.


Weekly Rounds with Infection Control Today

Weekly Rounds: Stretcher Contamination, Lumens 2.0, and More

July 14th 2025
Article

Take 5 minutes to catch up on Infection Control Today’s highlights for the week ending July 13, 2025.


CDC  (Adobe Stock, unknown)

CDC Urges Vigilance: New Recommendations for Monitoring and Testing H5N1 Exposures

Infection Control Today® Editorial Staff
July 11th 2025
Article

With avian influenza A(H5N1) infections surfacing in both animals and humans, the CDC has issued updated guidance calling for aggressive monitoring and targeted testing to contain the virus and protect public health.


IP LifeLine from Infection Control Today

IP LifeLine: Layoffs and the Evolving Job Market Landscape for Infection Preventionists

Brenna Doran, PhD, MA, ACC, CIC
July 11th 2025
Article

Infection preventionists, once hailed as indispensable during the pandemic, now face a sobering reality: budget pressures, hiring freezes, and layoffs are reshaping the field, leaving many IPs worried about their future and questioning their value within health care organizations.

Related Content

Operating room, surgical site infections   (Adobe Stock, Unknown)

The Next Frontier in Infection Control: AI-Driven Operating Rooms

Tori Whitacre Martonicz
Published: July 15th 2025 | Updated: July 15th 2025
Article

Discover how AI-powered sensors, smart surveillance, and advanced analytics are revolutionizing infection prevention in the OR. Herman DeBoard, PhD, discusses how these technologies safeguard sterile fields, reduce SSIs, and help hospitals balance operational efficiency with patient safety.


The doctor is injecting a vaccination into the arm of a little girl.   Adobe Stock 170524806 by pingpao

Targeting Uncertainty: Why Pregnancy May Be the Best Time to Build Vaccine Confidence

Tori Whitacre Martonicz
July 15th 2025
Article

New national survey data reveal high uncertainty among pregnant individuals—especially first-time parents—about vaccinating their future children, underscoring the value of proactive engagement to strengthen infection prevention.


The doctor is injecting a vaccination into the arm of a little girl.   Adobe Stock 170524806 by pingpao

No Link Found Between Aluminum in Vaccines and Chronic Disorders

Tori Whitacre Martonicz
July 14th 2025
Article

A Danish study of 1.2 million children found no increased risk of autoimmune, allergic, or neurodevelopmental disorders from aluminum in early childhood vaccines, helping close key safety evidence gaps.


Weekly Rounds with Infection Control Today

Weekly Rounds: Stretcher Contamination, Lumens 2.0, and More

July 14th 2025
Article

Take 5 minutes to catch up on Infection Control Today’s highlights for the week ending July 13, 2025.


CDC  (Adobe Stock, unknown)

CDC Urges Vigilance: New Recommendations for Monitoring and Testing H5N1 Exposures

Infection Control Today® Editorial Staff
July 11th 2025
Article

With avian influenza A(H5N1) infections surfacing in both animals and humans, the CDC has issued updated guidance calling for aggressive monitoring and targeted testing to contain the virus and protect public health.


IP LifeLine from Infection Control Today

IP LifeLine: Layoffs and the Evolving Job Market Landscape for Infection Preventionists

Brenna Doran, PhD, MA, ACC, CIC
July 11th 2025
Article

Infection preventionists, once hailed as indispensable during the pandemic, now face a sobering reality: budget pressures, hiring freezes, and layoffs are reshaping the field, leaving many IPs worried about their future and questioning their value within health care organizations.

Advertise
About Us
Editorial Board
Contact Us
Job Board
Terms and Conditions
Privacy
Do Not Sell My Personal Information
Contact Info

2 Commerce Drive
Cranbury, NJ 08512

609-716-7777

© 2025 MJH Life Sciences

All rights reserved.
Home
About Us
News