1. ABEER VAQAR - Bahria University Medical College, Islamabad/KRL Hospital G-9/1 Islamabad.
2. Dr. IRSHAD HUSSAIN - Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Bahria University Medical College, Islamabad/KRL Hospital G-9/1 Islamabad.
3. MALIHA AKHTAR QURESHI - Bahria University Medical College, Islamabad/KRL Hospital G-9/1 Islamabad.
4. BAKHT ZAMAN - Bahria University Medical College, Islamabad/KRL Hospital G-9/1 Islamabad.
5. SYED SAJJID HUSSAIN SHAH - Institute of Kidney Disease Hayatabad Peshawar.
6. COL (RTD). ASIM RAFIQUE - Shahbaz Multispecialty Clinic Kahuta City.
Objective: To determine the frequency of non-responsiveness to hepatitis B vaccination in children with celiac disease and to compare it with non-celiac controls. Study Design: Comparative cross sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Pediatrics, BUMC Teaching Hospital Islamabad and PNS Shifa Karachi, from June 2024 to May 2025. Methods: Thirty-four children aged 1-14 years with confirmed celiac disease who had completed the routine hepatitis B vaccination schedule were enrolled. Thirty age-matched non-celiac children served as controls. Immunity to hepatitis B was assessed by qualitative estimation of anti-hepatitis B surface (anti-HBs) antibodies using enzyme immunoassay. An anti-HBs level ≥10 mlU/mL was considered protective. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26. Results: Among children with celiac disease, 26 (76.5%) were anti-HBs negative, compared with 10 (33.3%) non-celiac controls. The difference was statistically significant(𝑋22test,p<0.001).Vaccine non-response was independent of age, gender, and adherence to a gluten-free diet. Conclusion: Children with celiac disease have a significantly higher rate of hepatitis B vaccine non-responsiveness compared with non-celiac children. Post-vaccination serological testing should be considered in this high-risk group, and hepatitis B vaccine non-responders should be evaluated for possible underlying celiac disease.
Celiac Disease, Hepatitis B Vaccine, Vaccine Non-Responder, HLA-DQ2, DR3.