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Medicated rheumatoid arthritis patients received less protection from flu vaccine
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Patients who took medications for their rheumatoid arthritis had less protection against the influenza pandemic than other patients, according to a study presented at the 2011 Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism.
A Brazilian hospital-based study assessed responses to influenza vaccines in 340 rheumatoid arthritis patients compared with 234 healthy patients. Measures of protection obtained by vaccination after immunization was about 22% lower for rheumatoid arthritis patients compared with healthy patients (60.1% vs. 82.9% comparatively; P<.001).
Tests to determine levels of detectable antibodies to microorganisms in the blood serum as a result of infection and immunization with the influenza virus showed a similar pattern, the researchers said, with 53.4% of rheumatoid arthritis patients and 76.9% of healthy controls having antibodies present (P<.001).
Disease activity was also measured and nine patients reported worsening of symptoms, with the mean disease activity score changing from 3.66 to 5.15 after H1N1 vaccination. No serious adverse events were noted across either patient group, although more patients in the rheumatoid arthritis group reported more adverse events, 42% vs. 30.8%, with a rate of 140 events/100 patients vs. 87/100 in the control group.
For more information:
- Ribeiro A. Abstract OP0147. Presented at: EULAR 2011; May 25-28, 2011; London.
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