Effect of vaccination of humans with a subunit hepatitis B vaccine on Treg frequency and characteristics.

Abstract

<p>At day 0, day 28 and day 168, healthy adults were i.m. vaccinated with Engerix-B^® or injected with a placebo. At day 1, 3, and 14 after the third immunization dose (day 169, 171 and 182) changes in Treg frequency and phenotype were determined. The delta Treg percentage per time point was determined per donor (= % Treg day_x—% Treg day₁₆₈). <b>(A)</b> Mean (± SEM) delta percentage of the frequency of rTreg (left) and aTreg (right) in the blood at the different time points after the third dose of Engerix-B^® (n = 20) or placebo (n = 4). <b>(B)</b> Mean (± SEM) delta percentage of CD39 expression on aTreg after vaccination. Means were statistically compared with an unpaired, two-tailed Mann-Whitney test (* p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01, relative to placebo at the same time point).</p