Neuromuscular disorders associated with Hepatitis B vaccination.
The hepatitis B virus (HBV) is an important infectious cause of acute and chronic liver disease throughout the world. Recombinant hepatitis B vaccines have been developed to combat morbidity and mortality associated with HBV infection. These vaccines have been associated with autoimmune diseases mostly among adult vaccine recipients. Epidemiological surveys have not established unequivocal causality between the hepatitis B vaccine and the development of various autoimmune neuromuscular disorders. However, case histories and series hint at a temporal association between hepatitis B vaccines and the development of various neuropathy syndromes, polyarteritis nodosa complicated by vasculitic neuropathy, myasthenia gravis and dermatomyositis. Conceivably, the hepatitis B vaccines have a potential to occasionally trigger the onset of immune diseases in individuals with an underlying genetic or immunological susceptibility.
Stübgen
Joerg-Patrick
JP
Department of Neurology and Neuroscience, Weill Cornell Medical College/New York Presbyterian Hospital, 525 East 68th Street, New York, NY 10065-4885, USA. pstuebge@med.cornell.edu
D015551:Autoimmunity; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D009135:Muscular Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000209:etiology*; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D010488:Polyarteritis Nodosa / Q000209:etiology*
D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines