title: Safety and efficacy of vaccination against streptococcus pneumonia in patients with rheumatic diseases.
abstract: Vaccination against streptococcus pneumonia is currently recommended for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Safety and efficacy issues of vaccination in patients suffering from rheumatic diseases are still unresolved. This review summarizes the studies performed on the safety and immunogenicity of pneumococcal vaccination in patients with RA and SLE, with special emphasis on the effect of immunosuppressive drugs on the efficacy of the vaccine. Several trials have shown that the vaccine does not induce clinical exacerbation of RA and that it does induce an adequate humoral response, albeit one lower than that in healthy controls.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, Tel Aviv Medical Center and the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel. oribe14@netvision.net.il
authors.forename: Ori
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Elkayam
authors.forename: Jacob
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ablin
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Caspi
mesh_terms: D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000821:virology*; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000821:virology*; D022541:Streptococcal Vaccines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000276:immunology*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014611:Vaccination
chemical_list: D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D022541:Streptococcal Vaccines; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha