Development of DTH Skin Reaction to HBsAg in Individuals Immunized with HB Vaccine

Abstract
To examine the temporal relationship between the DTH [delayed-type hypersensitivity] skin reaction to HBsAg [hepatitis B surface antigen] and antibody response to HBsAg, serial skin tests for HBsAg were carried out on 7 individuals immunized with HB [hepatitis B] vaccine. All cases developed both a skin reaction and antibody response. In many cases, the DTH skin reaction appeared 4 wk before the antibody response. Evidently, DTH skin reaction may be a more sensitive method than humoral antibody assessment for monitoring the success of vaccination.