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Patients with dermatomyositis, polymyositis more likely to have herpes zoster infection
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Patients with dermatomyositis or polymyositis were more susceptible to infection with herpes zoster compared with individuals from the general population, according to recently published research.
Researchers conducted a population-based, retrospective cohort study of 2,023 patients with dermatomyositis (DM) or polymyositis (PM) compared with 7,409 matched participants from the general population identified through the Taiwan National Health Insurance system between Jan. 1, 1998, and Dec. 31, 2011.
Women comprised 67.2% of all study participants, and patients had a mean age of 49.5 years. The index date was defined as the date of diagnosis of DM or PM, and patients with a history of herpes zoster were excluded from the study. Control participants were matched based on age, sex and comorbidities such as diabetes, obesity, renal disease and autoimmune disease.
Herpes zoster infection arose in 338 patients with DM or PM and in 324 patients in the control group, equivalent to an incidence rate of 35.8 per 1,000 person-years in patients with PM or DM and of 7.01 per 1,000 person-years in the control cohort. A cumulative incidence curve showed a significantly higher rate for herpes zoster infection in patients with PM or DM, and the risk was increased in both men and women, according to the researchers.
Adjusted for comorbidities, the relative risk was higher than the control group for patients with DM or PM regardless of comorbidity; however, the risk was higher for patients with DM or PM who received corticosteroids or immunosuppressant therapy, including inhaled forms. - by Shirley Pulawski
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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