High disease activity: an independent factor for reduced immunogenicity of the pandemic influenza a vaccine in patients with juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus.

OBJECTIVE: Recent findings demonstrated a reduced immunogenicity of the influenza A H1N1/2009 vaccine in juvenile rheumatic diseases. However, a point of concern is whether the vaccine could induce disease flares. The aim of this study was to assess the disease safety of and the possible influence of disease parameters and therapy on nonadjuvant influenza A H1N1 vaccine response of juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. METHODS: One hundred eighteen juvenile SLE patients and 102 healthy controls of a comparable age were vaccinated. Seroprotection rate, seroconversion rate, and factor increase in geometric mean titer (GMT) were calculated and effective immune response was defined by the Food and Drug Administration and the European Committee for Proprietary Medicinal Products vaccine immunologic standards. Disease parameters, treatment, and adverse events were evaluated. RESULTS: Age was comparable in juvenile SLE patients and controls (mean ± SD 16.0 ± 3.5 versus 15.9 ± 4.5 years; P = 0.26). Three weeks after immunization, seroprotection rate (73.7% versus 95.1%; P < 0.001), seroconversion rate (63.6% versus 91.2%; P < 0.001), GMT (90.8 versus 273.3; P < 0.001), and factor increase in GMT (8.1 versus 19.9; P < 0.001) were significantly lower in juvenile SLE patients versus controls. Nonseroconversion was associated with a higher frequency of patients with a Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index 2000 (SLEDAI-2K) score ≥8 (48.8% versus 24%; P = 0.008) and a higher mean ± SD current glucocorticoid dosage (18 ± 21.4 versus 10.5 ± 12.5 mg/day; P = 0.018). Multivariate logistic regression including a SLEDAI-2K score ≥8 revealed that only the SLEDAI-2K remained a significant factor for nonseroconversion (odds ratio 0.42, 95% confidence interval 0.18-0.98; P = 0.045). Disease parameters remained stable throughout the study and no severe vaccine adverse events were observed. CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrated adequate disease safety and is the first to discriminate that high disease activity impairs influenza A H1N1/2009 vaccine antibody production in juvenile SLE, in spite of an overall immune response within recommended levels.

Immunogenicity of influenza H1N1 vaccination in mixed connective tissue disease: effect of disease and therapy.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the potential acute effects regarding the immunogenicity and safety of non-adjuvanted influenza A H1N1/2009 vaccine in patients with mixed connective tissue disease and healthy controls. METHODS: Sixty-nine mixed connective tissue disease patients that were confirmed by Kasukawa's classification criteria and 69 age- and gender-matched controls participated in the study; the participants were vaccinated with the non-adjuvanted influenza A/California/7/2009 (H1N1) virus-like strain. The percentages of seroprotection, seroconversion, geometric mean titer and factor increase in the geometric mean titer were calculated. The patients were clinically evaluated, and blood samples were collected pre- and 21 days post-vaccination to evaluate C-reactive protein, muscle enzymes and autoantibodies. Anti-H1N1 titers were determined using an influenza hemagglutination inhibition assay. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01151644. RESULTS: Before vaccination, no difference was observed regarding the seroprotection rates (p = 1.0) and geometric mean titer (p = 0.83) between the patients and controls. After vaccination, seroprotection (75.4% vs. 71%, (p = 0.7), seroconversion (68.1% vs. 65.2%, (p = 1.00) and factor increase in the geometric mean titer (10.0 vs. 8.0, p = 0.40) were similar in the two groups. Further evaluation of seroconversion in patients with and without current or previous history of muscle disease (p = 0.20), skin ulcers (p = 0.48), lupus-like cutaneous disease (p = 0.74), secondary Sjogren syndrome (p = 0.78), scleroderma-pattern in the nailfold capillaroscopy (p = 1.0), lymphopenia #1000/mm³ on two or more occasions (p = 1.0), hypergammaglobulinemia $1.6 g/d (p = 0.60), pulmonary hypertension (p = 1.0) and pulmonary fibrosis (p = 0.80) revealed comparable rates. Seroconversion rates were also similar in patients with and without immunosuppressants. Disease parameters, such as C-reactive protein (p = 0.94), aldolase (p = 0.73), creatine phosphokinase (p = 0.40) and ribonucleoprotein antibody levels (p = 0.98), remained largely unchanged pre and post-vaccination. No severe side effects were reported. CONCLUSIONS: The non-adjuvanted influenza A/H1N1 vaccination immune response in mixed connective tissue disease patients is adequate and does not depend on the disease manifestations and therapy.

Immunogenicity of influenza H1N1 vaccination in mixed connective tissue disease: effect of disease and therapy

OBJECTIVE: To assess the potential acute effects regarding the immunogenicity and safety of non-adjuvanted influenza A H1N1/2009 vaccine in patients with mixed connective tissue disease and healthy controls. METHODS: Sixty-nine mixed connective tissue disease patients that were confirmed by Kasukawa's classification criteria and 69 age- and gender-matched controls participated in the study; the participants were vaccinated with the non-adjuvanted influenza A/California/7/2009 (H1N1) virus-like strain. The percentages of seroprotec-tion, seroconversion, geometric mean titer and factor increase in the geometric mean titer were calculated. The patients were clinically evaluated, and blood samples were collected pre- and 21 days post-vaccination to evaluate C-reactive protein, muscle enzymes and autoantibodies. Anti-H1N1 titers were determined using an influenza hemagglutination inhibition assay. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01151644. RESULTS: Before vaccination, no difference was observed regarding the seroprotection rates (p = 1.0) and geometric mean titer (p = 0.83) between the patients and controls. After vaccination, seroprotection (75.4% vs. 71%, (p = 0.7), seroconversion (68.1% vs. 65.2%, (p = 1.00) and factor increase in the geometric mean titer (10.0 vs. 8.0, p = 0.40) were similar in the two groups. Further evaluation of seroconversion in patients with and without current or previous history of muscle disease (p = 0.20), skin ulcers (p = 0.48), lupus-like cutaneous disease (p = 0.74), secondary Sjogren syndrome (p = 0.78), scleroderma-pattern in the nailfold capillaroscopy (p = 1.0), lymphopenia #1000/mm³ on two or more occasions (p = 1.0), hypergammaglobulinemia $1.6 g/d (p = 0.60), pulmonary hypertension (p = 1.0) and pulmonary fibrosis (p = 0.80) revealed comparable rates. Seroconversion rates were also similar in patients with and without immunosuppressants. Disease parameters, such as C-reactive protein (p = 0.94), aldolase (p = 0.73), creatine phosphokinase (p = 0.40) and ribonucleoprotein antibody levels (p = 0.98), remained largely unchanged pre and post-vaccination. No severe side effects were reported. CONCLUSIONS: The non-adjuvanted influenza A/H1N1 vaccination immune response in mixed connective tissue disease patients is adequate and does not depend on the disease manifestations and therapy.

Shift in the timing of respiratory syncytial virus circulation in a subtropical megalopolis: implications for immunoprophylaxis.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most common cause of severe respiratory infections worldwide, and an important cause of childhood bronchiolitis, pneumonia, and mortality. Although prevention of RSV infection by immunoprophylaxis with palivizumab has proved effective, a precise understanding of the timing of RSV outbreaks is necessary to ensure that infants are protected when RSV is circulating. In this study a consistent shift in the seasonal patterns of RSV circulation in southeast Brazil (São Paulo) is reported based on the analysis of 15 years of viral surveillance. Surveillance was conducted from 1996 to 2010 and involved the collection of samples from children with symptoms of acute respiratory infection. Putative changes in school terms, in the proportion of RSV genotypes infecting children and in the seasonal dynamics of several climatic parameters during the period were also investigated. The results revealed a progression in the timing of RSV seasons, with a shift in the onset and peak of RSV epidemics from 2007 onwards. Although lower rainfall and temperatures were associated with the onset of outbreaks, there was no evidence of changes in climate, school terms or in the relative proportion of genotypes in the period analyzed. These findings have direct implications for improving the prophylactic use of palivizumab, and stress the importance of fine tuning prophylaxis with recent surveillance data. In the case of São Paulo, palivizumab prophylaxis should be initiated earlier than suggested currently. Similar adjustments may be necessary in other regions.

Influenza A/H1N1 vaccination of patients with SLE: can antimalarial drugs restore diminished response under immunosuppressive therapy?

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy and safety of pandemic 2009 influenza A (H1N1) in SLE under different therapeutic regimens. METHODS: A total of 555 SLE patients and 170 healthy controls were vaccinated with a single dose of a non-adjuvanted preparation. According to current therapy, patients were initially classified as SLE No Therapy (n = 75) and SLE with Therapy (n = 480). Subsequent evaluations included groups under monotherapy: chloroquine (CQ) (n = 105), prednisone (PRED) ≥20 mg (n = 76), immunosuppressor (IS) (n = 95) and those with a combination of these drugs. Anti-H1N1 titres and seroconversion (SC) rate were evaluated at entry and 21 days post-vaccination. RESULTS: The SLE with Therapy group had lower SC compared with healthy controls (59.0 vs 80.0%; P < 0.0001), whereas the SLE No Therapy group had equivalent SC (72 vs 80.0%; P = 0.18) compared with healthy controls. Further comparison revealed that the SC of SLE No Therapy (72%) was similar to the CQ group (69.5%; P = 0.75), but it was significantly reduced in PRED ≥20 mg (53.9%; P = 0.028), IS (55.7%; P = 0.035) and PRED ≥20 mg + IS (45.4%; P = 0.038). The concomitant use of CQ in each of these later regimens was associated with SC responses comparable with SLE No Therapy group (72%): PRED ≥20 mg + CQ (71.4%; P = 1.00), IS + CQ (65.2%; P = 0.54) and PRED ≥20 mg + IS + CQ (57.4%; P = 0.09). CONCLUSION: Pandemic influenza A H1N1/2009 vaccine response is diminished in SLE under immunosuppressive therapy and antimalarials seems to restore this immunogenicity. Trial registration. www.clinicaltrials.gov, NCT01151644.

Presumptive rapid diagnosis of parvovirus infection in patients with Erythema infectiosum-like illness

In September 1987 an outbreak of exanthematous illness ressembling erythma infectiosum occurres at an elementary school of Säo Paulo city. Attempts to isolate virus from the nasofaryngeal secretion and urine and serum samples collected from the ill children in acute phase of illness resulted negative. Nevertheless, parvovirus-like particles of about 24 nm in diameter were observed by negative staining electron microscopy in concentraded urine of seven out of eight ill patients and in nasopharyngeal secretion of one out of four patients. No similar viral particle was observed in concentred urine samples collected on the same occasion from their classmates without evident signs of illness. This is a proposal of an alternative test for a rapid and sensitive presumptive diagnosis of human parvovirus infection