RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Safety and immune response of a live-attenuated herpes zoster vaccine in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: a randomised placebo-controlled trial
JF Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases
JO Ann Rheum Dis
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and European League Against Rheumatism
SP 1663
OP 1668
DO 10.1136/annrheumdis-2019-215925
VO 78
IS 12
A1 Chi Chiu Mok
A1 Kwok Hung Chan
A1 Ling Yin Ho
A1 Yim Fong Fung
A1 Wai Fong Fung
A1 Patrick Chiu Yat Woo
YR 2019
UL http://ard.bmj.com/content/78/12/1663.abstract
AB Objectives To study the safety and immunogenicity of a live-attenuated herpes zoster (HZ) vaccine in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).Methods Adult SLE patients having a SLEDAI <6 and stable immunosuppressive treatment for ≥6 months were recruited. Participants were randomly assigned to receive HZ vaccine (Zostavax) or placebo injection. Anti-varicella zoster virus (VZV) IgG reactivity (baseline and week 6) was measured by an enzyme-linked fluorescence assay. Cell-mediated response was assessed by a VZV-stimulated interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) enzyme-linked ELISPOT assay. Adverse events and immune responses of the two groups were compared.Results 90 SLE patients were recruited (age 45.6±14.1 years; 93% women) and assigned to Zostavax or placebo (in 1:1 ratio). Baseline clinical parameters were similar between the two groups. The change in anti-VZV IgG from week 0 to 6 was +59.8% in the vaccine and −2.1% in the placebo group. Week 6 anti-VZV IgG was significantly higher in vaccinated than placebo-treated patients, after adjustment for baseline (4.16±1.26 vs 3.32±1.01; p<0.001). The number of IFN-γ secreting T-cell spots decreased in the placebo-treated patients (−17%) but increased in vaccinated patients (+42%). The T-cell spots number at week 6 was significantly higher in vaccine—than placebo-treated patients after adjustment for baseline (38.1±78.2 vs 23.1±47.9; p=0.02). Significantly more vaccinated patients reported self-limiting injection site reaction than controls (31% vs 7%; p<0.01). Two vaccinated patients (4.4%) and one (2.2%) placebo-treated patient had mild/moderate SLE flares but no patients developed HZ eruption within 6 weeks postvaccination.Conclusions In patients with stable SLE not receiving intensive immunosuppression, Zostavax was well-tolerated and provoked an immune response.Trial registration number US ClinicalTrials.gov registry (NCT02477150).