Hepatitis B vaccine is the most efficient method for the prevention of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Nevertheless, several factors such as age, body mass index and immunocompetent state are correlated with reduced immunization responses. The present study was aimed to determine the effect of obesity on the immunogenicity of hepatitis B vaccines. 

The authors of the present study included available peer-reviewed literatures, practice guidelines, and statistics published on hepatitis B vaccine in obesity between 1973 and 2015. 

The outcome of the study suggested that obesity was remarkably linked to non-response to hepatitis B vaccine immunization and the risk of non-responsiveness of hepatitis B vaccine in obese population augmented with BMI. 

The obesity may also have caused an increased risk of HBV vaccine-escape mutations. The underlying mechanism implicated in decreased immunization responses in obese people was leptin-induced systemic and B cell intrinsic inflammation, impaired T cell responses and lymphocyte division and proliferation. Hence, in order to ameliorate immunoprotecive effect of hepatitis B vaccines, newer studies are warranted that can assess the impact of obesity on the immunogenicity of hepatitis B vaccines.

Source: Liu F, Guo Z, Dong C. Influences of obesity on the immunogenicity of Hepatitis B vaccine. Hum Vaccin Immunother. 2017;13(5):1014-1017.