Patients with systemic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases are at risk of vaccine-preventable illnesses.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate vaccine coverage and humoral immunity to tetanus, diphtheria and poliomyelitis in adults followed for systemic inflammatory and/or autoimmune diseases (SIADs).


METHODS
A cross-sectional study was conducted between June and August 2006 in a monocentric cohort of adults with SIAD. A standardized questionnaire was administered to collect medical, therapeutic and vaccine coverage data. Blood samples were collected in order to measure antibody titres against diphtheria, tetanus and poliomyelitis (DTP).


RESULTS
One hundred and eighty-six patients, 32% males, mean (s.d.) age 51 (16) years, 79% receiving CSs and/or immunosuppressants, were included. The vaccine coverage was 29% for diphtheria, 48% for tetanus and 33% for poliomyelitis. The percentages of patients with no humoral immunity against DTP were 44, 21 and 12%, respectively, decreasing to 37.5, 10 and 0%, respectively, for those who had received a vaccine booster in the last 10 years. In a multivariate analysis, age and CS treatment were associated with the absence of humoral immunity against diphtheria and female sex, CD4(+) T cell <200/mm(3) and an absence of tetanus vaccine booster in the last 10 years with the absence of humoral immunity to tetanus.


CONCLUSIONS
Vaccine coverage against tetanus, diphtheria and poliomyelitis is low in patients with SIAD despite the risk in this population of severe infection, especially when receiving immunosuppressants. A significant proportion of them had no humoral immunity against diphtheria or tetanus. Specific immunization schedules need to be optimized in these patients.
Université Paris Descartes, Faculté de Médecine, Inserm, CIC BT505, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris, Groupe Hospitalier Cochin-Saint Vincent de Paul, Pôle de Médecine, CIC de Vaccinologie Cochin-Pasteur, Paris, France.
Cecile
C
Marchand-Janssen
Pierre
P
Loulergue
Luc
L
Mouthon
Alfred
A
Mahr
Philippe
P
Blanche
Lionel
L
Deforges
Pierre
P
Lebon
Pascal
P
Cohen
Christian
C
Pagnoux
Veronique
V
Le Guern
Boris
B
Bienvenu
Achille
A
Aouba
Loïc
L
Guillevin
Odile
O
Launay
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004165:Diphtheria / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D015721:Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis Vaccine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D056724:Immunity, Humoral / Q000502:physiology*; D007115:Immunization Schedule; D007117:Immunization, Secondary / Q000379:methods; D007249:Inflammation / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011322:Primary Prevention / Q000379:methods; D018570:Risk Assessment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013742:Tetanus / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D014917:Whooping Cough / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control
D015721:Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis Vaccine