Vaccines and autoimmunity

Abstract

Vaccines have been used for over 200 years and are the most effective way of preventing the morbidity and mortality associated with infections. Like other drugs, vaccines can cause adverse events, but unlike conventional medicines, which are prescribed to people who are ill, vaccines are administered to healthy individuals, thus increasing the concern over adverse reactions. Most side effects attributed to vaccines are mild, acute and transient; however, rare reactions such as hypersensitivity, induction of infection, and autoimmunity do occur and can be severe and even fatal. The rarity and subacute presentation of post-vaccination autoimmune phenomena means that ascertaining causality between these events can be difficult. Moreover, the latency period between vaccination and autoimmunity ranges from days to years. In this article, on the basis of published evidence and our own experience, we discuss the various aspects of the causal and temporal interactions between vaccines and autoimmune phenomena, as well as the possible mechanisms by which different components of vaccines might induce autoimmunity.

Safety and immunogenicity of varicella vaccine in patients with juvenile rheumatic diseases receiving methotrexate and corticosteroids

“…In fact, the number of active joints was lower after VV in patients with JIA. The question of whether vaccination could induce the onset of symptoms or trigger flares in patients with rheumatic disease is a matter of debate (15,16). There are only 2 published studies regarding the safety of using live vaccines in juvenile rheumatic diseases.…”

Síndrome de intestino irritable y autoinmunidad

“…Estudios histopatológicos en estos pacientes han demostrado altos niveles de anticuerpos tipo IgG, células Th1/Th17 y citocinas en la cápsula de silicona de los implantes protésicos mamarios 38,39 . Adicionalmente, la silicona se puede filtrar desde las prótesis hacia tejidos adyacentes o diseminarse distalmente, induciendo una reacción a cuerpo extraño caracterizada por activación de células inmunitariass, fibrosis y la formación de granulomas que contienen silicona [40][41][42][43][44][45][46] . La teoría de una respuesta autoinmune/inflamatoria con la formación de autoanticuerpos, células reactivas y citocinas, ha sido apoyada por modelos animales [47][48][49] .…”

Autoimmune (auto-inflammatory) syndrome induced by adjuvants – ASIA

“…Over many years of vaccination case reports surfaced of conditions such as arthritis, Guillain-Barré syndrome, meningitis, chronic fatigue syndrome and vasculitis, being associated with a history of vaccination [7]. Arthritis after vaccination with DTP (diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis), transverse myelitis after oral polio vaccination and autoimmune thrombocytopenia after vaccination with MMR (measles-mumpsrubella) vaccine [8] have been reported, while the Haemophilus influenzae B vaccine (HiB) has been linked with the occurrence of insulin-dependent diabetes. The article by Classen et al demonstrated that in NOD mice (diabetes-prone non-obese diabetic mice) after immunization with HiB vaccine, an increased risk of developing diabetes occurred.…”

“…Od wielu lat pojawiają się opisy przypadków wystąpienia takich schorzeń, jak zapalenie stawów, zespół Guillaina-Barrégo, zapalenie opon mózgowo-rdzeniowych, zespół przewlekłego zmęczenia i zapalenie naczyń, które można powiązać z przebytym szczepieniem [7]. Zapalenie stawów opisywano po szczepieniu DTP (krztusiec-tężec-błonica), poprzeczne zapalenie rdzenia po zastosowaniu szczepionki doustnej polio, autoimmunologiczną trombocytopenię obserwowano zaś po szczepieniu MMR (świnka-ospa-różyczka) [8]. Szczepienie przeciw Haemophilus influenzae B (HiB) jest wiązane z wystąpieniem insulinozależnej cukrzycy.…”